Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SOUL, by ABRAHAM COWLEY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SOUL, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: If mine eyes do e'er declare
Last Line: May thy dear body ne'ere be mine.
Subject(s): Soul


1.

IF mine Eyes do ere declare
They' have seen a second thing that's fair;
Or Ears, that they have Musick found,
Besides thy Voice, in any Sound;
If my tast do ever meet,
After thy Kisse, with ought that's sweet;
If my abused Touch allow
Ought to be smooth, or soft, but You:
If, what seasonable Springs,
Or the Eastern Summer brings,
Do my Smell perswade at all
Ought Perfume, but thy Breath to call;
If all my senses Objects be
Not contracted into Thee,
And so through thee more pow'rful passe,
As Beams do through a Burning-Glasse;
If all things that in Nature are
Either soft, or sweet, or fair,
Be not in Thee so Epitomiz'd,
[That nought Material's not compriz'd;]
May I as worthless seem to Thee
As all, but Thou, appear to Mee.

2.

If I ever Anger know,
'Till some Wrong be done to you;
If Gods or Kings my Envy move,
Without their Crowns crown'd by thy Love
If ever I an hope admitt,
Without thy Image stampt on it;
Or any Fear, 'till I begin
To find that You'r concern'd therein;
If a Joy ere come to Me,
That tasts of any thing but thee;
If any Sorrow touch my Mind,
Whilst You are well, and not unkind;
If I a minute's space debate,
Whether I shall curse and hate
The things beneath thy hatred fall,
Though all the World, my selfe and all;
And for Love, if ever I
Appear to it again so nigh,
As to allow a Toleration
To the least glimmering Inclination;
If thou alone dost not controule
All those Tyrants of my Soule,
And to thy Beauties tyest them so,
That constant they as Habits grow;
If any Passion of my Heart,
By any force, or any art,
Be brought to move one step from Thee,
May'st Thou no Passion have for Mee.

3.

If my busie Imagination
Do not Thee in all things fashion;
So that all Fair Species be
Hyeroglyphick marks of Thee;
If when She her sports does keep
(The lower Soule being all asleep)
She play one Dream, with all her Art,
Where Thou hast not the longest part.
If ought get place in my Remembrance,
Without some badge of thy resemblance;
So that thy parts become to me
A kind of Art of Memory.
If my understanding do
Seek any Knowledge but of You,
If She do near thy Body prize
Her Bodies of Philosophies;
If She to the Will do show
Ought desirable but You,
Or if That would not rebell,
Should She another Doctrine tell;
If my Will do not resign
All her Liberty to thine;
If she would not follow Thee,
Though Fate and Thou shouldst disagree;
And if (for I a curse will give,
Such as shall force thee to believe)
My soul be not entirely Thine;
May thy dear Body ne'ere be Mine.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


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