Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LINES, by SIDNEY GODOLPHIN


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

LINES, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Fair shadow, stay, may I for ever see
Last Line: My thoughts, and in your scorn, your beauty dies.


FAIR shadow, stay, may I for ever see
Thy beauty sever'd from thy cruelty,
As in this dream, do not so soon destroy
So dear to me, to you so cheap a joy.
See my thoughts now, impute no more to me
My past complaints and infelicity,
As if those needs, fruits of my nature were,
And that in me nothing can grow but care;
Witness with me my yet diffused heart
Which your kind image doth not quite depart,
That your fair eyes do nowhere else dispense
On matter more prepared, their influence:
Your will hath planted all the grief I know,
Neglect alone would not so far undo,
Self-flattery would still produce content.
If you were but so kind as to consent,
Though not to favour, my whole life had been
Though without harvest, a perpetual Spring.
If you had pleased, all nature hath been spent
And a new vigour hath been often lent
From the returning heavens, whilst my sun
A voluntary instant course doth run:
See how already your kind image flies
My thoughts, and in your scorn, your beauty dies.





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