Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE THOUGHT, by EDWARD HERBERT


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE THOUGHT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: If you do love as well as I
Last Line: If you do love as well as I.
Alternate Author Name(s): Cherbury, 1st Baron Herbert Of; Herbert Of Cherbury, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron; Herbert Of Cherbury, Lord
Subject(s): Love - Nature Of


IF you do love as well as I,
Then every minute from your heart
A thought doth part;
And winged with desire doth fly
Till it hath met in a straight line
A thought of mine
So like to yours, we cannot know
Whether of both doth come, or go,
Till we define
Which of us two that thought doth owe.

I say, then, that your thoughts which pass
Are not so much the thoughts you meant,
As those I sent:
For as my image in a glass
Belongs not to the glass you see,
But unto me,
So when your fancy is so clear
That you would think you saw me there,
It needs must be
That it was I did first appear.

Likewise, when I send forth a thought,
My reason tells me 'tis the same
Which from you came,
And which your beauteous image wrought.
Thus, while our thoughts by turns do lead,
None can precede;
And thus, while in each other's mind
Such interchanged forms we find,
Our loves may plead
To be of more than vulgar kind.

May you then often think on me,
And by that thinking know 'tis true
I thought on you;
I in the same belief will be,
While by this mutual address
We will possess

A love must live when we do die;
Which rare and secret property
You will confess,
If you do love as well as I.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net