Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, EPITHALAMIUM, by RICHARD CRASHAW


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

EPITHALAMIUM, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Come virgin tapers of pure waxe
Last Line: Sweet'st in the close.
Subject(s): Marriage; Weddings; Husbands; Wives


1. Come virgin Tapers of pure waxe
made in the Hive of Love, all white
as snow, and yet as cold, where lackes
Hymens holy heate and light;
where blooming kisses
their beds yet keepe
and steepe their blisses
in Rosy sleepe;
where sister budds yet wanting brothers
kisse their owne lipps in Lieu of others;
help me to mourne a matchlesse maydenhead
that now is dead:

2. A fine thin negative thing it was
a nothing with a dainty name,
which pruned her plumes in selfe loves glasse,
made up of fancy and fond fame;
within the shade
of its owne winge
it sate and played
a selfe crownd King;
A froward flower, whose peevish pride
within it selfe, it selfe did hide,
flying all fingers, and even thinking much
of its owne touch:

3. This bird indeed the phaenix was
late chaced by loves revengefull arrowes,
whose warres now left the wonted passe
and spared the litle lives of sparrowes;
to hunt this foole
whose froward pride,
Loves noble schoole,
and Courts denyed,
And froze the fruite of faire desire
which flourisheth in mutuall fire,
'gainst nature, who 'mong all the webbs she spunn
nere wove A Nunne:

4. She of Cupids shafts afraid
left her owne balme-breathing East,
and in a westerne bosome made
a softer, and a sweeter neast;
there did she rest
in the sweet shade,
of a soft breast,
whose beauties made
Thames oft stand still, and lend a glasse
while in her owne she saw heavens face,
and sent him full of her faire names report
to Thetis Court:

5. And now poore Love was at a stand
the Christall castle which she kept
was proofe against the proudest hand;
there in safest hold she slept;
his shafts expence
left there noe smart,
but bounding thence
broached his owne heart;
At length a fort he did devise
built in noble Brampstons eyes
and ayming thence, this matchlesse maydenhead
was soone found dead:

6. Yet Love in death did wayte upon her,
granting leave she should expire
in her fumes, and have the honour
t' exhale in flames of his owne fire;
her funerall pyle
the marriage bedd,
in a sighed smile
she vanished.
So rich a dresse of death nere famed
the Cradles where her kindred flamed;
so sweet her mother phaenixes of th' East
nere spiced their neast:

7. With many pretty peevish tryalls
of angry yeelding, faint denyings
melting No's, and milde denyalls
dying lives, and short lived dyings;
with doubtfull eyes,
halfe smiles, halfe teares,
with trembling joyes,
and jocund feares;
Twixt the pretty twylight strife
of dying maide and dawning wife;
twixt raine, and sun-shine, this sweet maydenhead
alas is dead:

8. Happy he whose wakefull joyes
kept the prize of this rich losse,
happy she whose watry eyes
kiss noe worse a weeping Crosse;
thrice happy he
partakes her store,
thrice happy she
hath still the more.
Thinke not sweet Bride, that faint shewer slakes
the fires he from thy faire eyes takes,
Thy dropps are salt, and while they thinke to tame,
sharpen his flame:

9. Blessed Bridegroome ere the raine be layd
use good weather while it proves,
those dropps that wash away the maide
shall water your warme planted loves;
faire youth make haste
ere it be drye
the sweet brine taste
from her moist eye;
Thy lipps will find such deaw as this is
best season for a lovers kisses,
and those thy morning starres will better please
bathed in those seas:

10. Nor may thy Vine, faire oake, embrace thee
with ivy armes, and empty wishes,
but with full bosome enterlace thee,
and reach her Clusters to thy kisses;
safe may she rest
her laden boughes,
on thy firme breast,
and fill thy vowes,
up to the brimm, till she make even
their full topps with the faire eyed heaven,
And heaven to guild those glorious Hero's birth
stoope and kisse earth:

11. Long may this happy heaven tyed band
exercise its most holy art,
keeping her heart within his hand
keeping his hand upon her heart;
but from her eyes
feele he noe Charmes,
finde she noe joy
but in his armes;
May each maintaine a well fledged neast
of winged loves in eithers breast
Be each of them a mutuall sacrefice
of eithers eyes:

12. May their whole life a sweet song prove
sett to two well composed parts,
by musickes noblest master, Love,
playd on the strings of both their harts;
whose mutuall sound
may ever meete
in a just round,
not short though sweet;
Long may heaven listen to the songe,
and thinke it short though it bee long;
oh prove't a well sett song indeed, which showes
sweet'st in the Close.





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