Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A LETTER TO THE LADY CAREY, AND MRS. ESSEX RICHE, FROM AMYENS, by JOHN DONNE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Madame, / here which by all all saints invoked are Last Line: He that beleeves himselfe, doth never lie. | ||||||||
MADAME, HEre where by All All Saints invoked are, 'Twere too much schisme to be singular, And 'gainst a practise generall to warre. Yet turning to Saincts, should my'humility To other Sainct then you directed bee, That were to make my schisme, heresie. Nor would I be a Convertite so cold, As not to tell it; If this be too bold, Pardons are in this market cheaply sold. Where, because Faith is in too low degree, I thought it some Apostleship in mee To speake things which by faith alone I see. That is, of you, who are a firmament Of virtues, where no one is growne, or spent, They'are your materials, not your ornament. Others whom wee call vertuous, are not so In their whole substance, but, their vertues grow But in their humours, and at seasons show. For when through tastlesse flat humilitie In dow bak'd men some harmelessenes we see, 'Tis but his flegme that's Vertuous, and not Hee: Soe is the Blood sometimes; who ever ran To danger unimportun'd, he was than No better then a sanguine Vertuous man. So cloysterall men, who, in pretence of feare All contributions to this life forbeare, Have Vertue in Melancholy, and only there. Spirituall Cholerique Crytiques, which in all Religions find faults, and forgive no fall, Have, through this zeale, Vertue but in their Gall. We'are thus but parcel guilt; to Gold we'are growne When Vertue is our Soules complexion; Who knowes his Vertues name or place, hath none. Vertue'is but aguish, when 'tis severall, By occasion wak'd, and circumstantiall. True vertue is Soule, Alwaies in all deeds All. This Vertue thinking to give dignitie To your soule, found there no infirmitie, For, your soule was as good Vertue, as shee; Shee therefore wrought upon that part of you Which is scarce lesse then soule, as she could do, And so hath made your beauty, Vertue too. Hence comes it, that your Beauty wounds not hearts, As Others, with prophane and sensuall Darts, But as an influence, vertuous thoughts imparts. But if such friends by the honor of your sight Grow capable of this so great a light, As to partake your vertues, and their might, What must I thinke that influence must doe, Where it findes sympathie and matter too, Vertue, and beauty of the same stuffe, as you? Which is, your noble worthie sister, shee Of whom, if what in this my Extasie And revelation of you both I see, I should write here, as in short Galleries The Master at the end large glasses ties, So to present the roome twice to our eyes, So I should give this letter length, and say That which I said of you; there is no way From either, but by the other, not to stray. May therefore this be enough to testifie My true devotion, free from flattery; He that beleeves himselfe, doth never lie. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A HYMN TO CHRIST, AT THE AUTHOR'S LAST GOING INTO GERMANY by JOHN DONNE A HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER by JOHN DONNE A LECTURE UPON THE SHADOW by JOHN DONNE A NOCTURNAL UPON ST. LUCY'S DAY, BEING THE SHORTEST DAY by JOHN DONNE A VALEDICTION: FORBIDDING MOURNING by JOHN DONNE A VALEDICTION: OF MY NAME IN THE WINDOW by JOHN DONNE A VALEDICTION: OF THE BOOKE by JOHN DONNE A VALEDICTION: OF WEEPING by JOHN DONNE AN ANATOMY OF THE WORLD: THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY by JOHN DONNE ELEGY: 11. THE BRACELET; UPON THE LOSS OF HIS MISTRESS'S CHAIN by JOHN DONNE |
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