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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
ECLOGUE; DAMON C.C. THYRSIS R.R., by CHARLES COTTON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Thyrsis, whilst our flocks did bite Last Line: I' th' sunshine of thy caelia. | |||
DAM. -- Thyrsis, whilst our flocks did bite The smiling salads in our sight, Thou then wer't wont to sing thy state In love, and Chloe celebrate; But where are now the love-sick lays Whilom so sung in Chloe's praise? THYR. -- 'Las! who can sing? Since our Pan died Each shepherd's pipe is laid aside: Our flocks they feed on parched ground, Shelter, nor water's for them found: And all our sports are cast away, Save when thou sing'st thy Caelia. DAM. -- Caelia, I do confess alone My object is of passion, My star, my bright magnetic pole, And only guidress of my soul. THYR. -- Let Caelia be thy cynosure, Chloe's my pole too, though th' obscure: For, though her self's all glorious, My earth 'twixt us does interpose. DAM. -- Obscure indeed, since she's but one To mine a constellation: Her lights throughout so glorious are, That every part's a perfect star. THYR. -- Then Caelia's perfections Are scattered; Chloe's like the sun's United light, compacted lie, Whence all that fell their force, must die. DAM. -- Caelia's beauties are too bright To be contracted in one light; Nor does my Fair, her rays dispense, With such a stabbing influence, Since 'tis her less imperious will To save her lovers, and not kill. THYR. -- Each beam of her united light Is, than the greatest star more bright; And, if she stay, it is from hence, She darts too sweet an influence, We surfeit with't: weak eyes most shun The dazzling glories of the sun. Perhaps, if Caelia do not kill, 'Tis want of power, not of will. DAM. -- I now perceive, thy Chloe's eyes To be no stars, but prodigies: Comets, such as blazing stand To threaten ruin to a land: Beacons of sulph'rous flame they are, Symptoms not of peace, but war, And thou I guess, by singing thus, Thence stol'st thine Ignis fatuus. THYR. -- As th' vulgar are amaz'd at th' sun, When tripled by reflection; Chloe's self, and glorious eyes To thee seem comets in the skies. And true, they may portend some wars Such as 'twixt Venus, and her Mars, But chaste: whose captivating bands Would people, and not ruin lands. With such a going fire I'll stray, For who with it can lose his way? DAM. -- The vulgar may perhaps be won By thee to think her sun, and moon, And so would I, but that my more Convincing Caelia I adore. Would we had both, that Chloe thine, And my dear Caelia might be mine. But if we should thus mix with ray, In Heav'n would be no night, but day: For we should people all the skies With planet-girls, and starry-boys, Chloe's a going-fire, we see, Pray Pan, she do not go from thee. THYR. -- Thanks, Damon, but she does, I fear, The shadows now so long appear: Yet if she do, we'll both find day I' th' sunshine of thy Caelia. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LAURA SLEEPING; ODE by CHARLES COTTON RESOLUTION OF A POETICAL QUESTION CONCERNING FOUR RURAL SISTERS: 2 by CHARLES COTTON THE RETIREMENT; TO MR. IZAAK WALTON by CHARLES COTTON A JOURNEY INTO THE PARK; TO SIR ASTON COCKAIN by CHARLES COTTON A PARAPHRASE by CHARLES COTTON A VALEDICTION by CHARLES COTTON A VOYAGE TO IRELAND IN BURLESQUE by CHARLES COTTON |
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