Classic and Contemporary Poetry
CHORUS TO THE TRAGEDY OF BRUTUS: 2. OF YOUTHS AND VIRGINS, by ALEXANDER POPE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Oh tyrant love! Hast thou possest Last Line: Sacred hymen! These are thine. Subject(s): Love | ||||||||
SEMICHORUS Oh tyrant Love! hast thou possest The prudent, learn'd, and virtuous breast? Wisdom and wit in vain reclaim, And arts but soften us to feel thy flame. Love, soft intruder, enters here, But entring learns to be sincere. Marcus with blushes owns he loves, And Brutus tenderly reproves. Why, virtue, doest thou blame desire, Which nature has imprest? Why, nature, dost thou soonest fire The mild and gen'rous breast? CHORUS Love's purer flames the Gods approve; The Gods, and Brutus bend to love: Brutus for absent Portia sighs, And sterner Cassius melts at Junia's eyes. What is loose love? a transient gust, Spent in a sudden storm of lust, A vapour fed from wild desire, A wandring, self-consuming fire. But Hymen's kinder flames unite; And burn for ever one; Chaste as cold Cynthia's virgin light, Productive as the Sun. SEMICHORUS Oh source of ev'ry social tye, United wish, and mutual joy! What various joys on one attend, As son, as father, brother, husband, friend! Whether his hoary sire he spies, While thousand grateful thoughts arise; Or meets his spouse's fonder eye; Or views his smiling progeny; What tender passions take their turns, What home-felt raptures move! His heart now melts, now leaps, now burns, With rev'rence, hope, and love. CHORUS Hence guilty joys, distastes, surmizes, Hence false tears, deceits, disguises, Dangers, doubts, delays, surprizes; Fires that scorch, yet dare not shine: Purest love's unwasting treasure, Constant faith, fair hope, long leisure, Days of ease, and nights of pleasure; Sacred Hymen! these are thine. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE INVENTION OF LOVE by MATTHEA HARVEY TWO VIEWS OF BUSON by ROBERT HASS A LOVE FOR FOUR VOICES: HOMAGE TO FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN by ANTHONY HECHT AN OFFERING FOR PATRICIA by ANTHONY HECHT LATE AFTERNOON: THE ONSLAUGHT OF LOVE by ANTHONY HECHT A SWEETENING ALL AROUND ME AS IT FALLS by JANE HIRSHFIELD A FAREWELL TO LONDON IN THE YEAR 1715 by ALEXANDER POPE |
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