Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SONG, by JOHN DOWLAND


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

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First Line: White as lilies was her face
Last Line: [or love was turned to bitter scorn!]
Subject(s): Happiness; Joy; Delight


WHITE as lilies was her face;
When she smiled,
She beguiled,
Quitting faith with foul disgrace,
Virtue service thus neglected,
Heart with sorrows hath infected.

When I swore my heart her own,
She disdained,
I complained,
Yet she left me overthrown,
Careless of my bitter groaning,
Ruthless bent to no relieving.

Vows and oaths and faith assured,
Constant ever,
Changing never,
Yet she could not be procured,
To believe my pains exceeding,
From her scant neglect proceeding.

O that love should have the art,
By surmises,
And disguises,
To destroy a faithful heart,
Or that wanton-looking women,
Should reward their friends as foemen.

All in vain is ladies' love,
Quickly choosed
Shortly loosed,
For their pride is to remove,
Out, alas! their looks first won us,
And their pride hath straight undone us.

To thyself the sweetest fair,
Thou has wounded,
And confounded,
Changeless faith with foul despair,
And my service hath envied,
And my succours hath denied.

By thine error, thou hast lost,
Heart unfeigned,
Truth unstained,
And the swain that lovèd most,
More assured in love than many.
More despised in love than any.

For my heart, though set at nought,
Since you will it,
Spoil and kill it;
I will never change my thought,
But grieve that beauty e'er was born,
[Or love was turned to bitter scorn!]





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