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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LOVE-SICK, by HENRY VAUGHAN Poet Analysis Poet's Biography
First Line: Jesus, my life! How shall I truly love thee
Last Line: Mine ever, ever; and me ever thine.
Alternate Author Name(s): Silurist
First Line: Jesus, my life! How shall I truly love thee
Last Line: Mine ever, ever; and me ever thine.
Alternate Author Name(s): Silurist
Jesus, my life! how shall I truly love thee?
O that thy Spirit would so strongly move me,
That thou wert pleased to shed thy grace so far
As to make man all pure love, flesh a star!
A star that would ne'er set, but ever rise,
So rise and run, as to out-run these skies,
These narrow skies (narrow to me) that bar,
So bar me in, that I am still at war,
At constant war with them. O come and rend,
Or bow the heavens! Lord bow them and descend,
And at thy presence make these mountains flow,
These mountains of cold ice in me! Thou art
Refining fire, O then refine my heart,
My foul, foul heart! Thou art immortal heat,
Heat motion gives; then warm it, till it beat,
So beat for thee, till thou in mercy hear,
So hear that thou must open: open to
A sinful wretch, a wretch that caused thy woe,
Thy woe, who caused his weal; so far his weal
That thou forgott'st thine own, for thou didst seal
Mine with thy blood, thy blood which makes thee mine,
Mine ever, ever; and me ever thine.