It was my choice, it was no chance That brought my heart in others' hold, Whereby it hath had sufferance Longer, perdie, than Reason would; Since I it bound where it was free, Methinks, iwis, of right it should Accepted be. Accepted be without refuse, Unless that Fortune have the power All right of love for to abuse; For, as they say, one happy hour May more prevail than right or might; If fortune then list for to lour, What vaileth right? What vaileth right if this be true? Then trust to chance and go by guess; Then who so loveth may well go sue Uncertain Hope for his redress. Yet some would say assuredly Thou mayst appeal for thy release To fantasy. To fantasy pertains to choose: All this I know, for fantasy First unto love did me induce; But yet I know as steadfastly That if love have no faster knot, So nice a choice slips suddenly: It lasteth not. It lasteth not that stands by change. Fancy doth change; fortune is frail; Both these to please the way is strange. Therefore me thinks best to prevail: There is no way that is so just As truth to lead, through t'other fail, And thereto trust. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE FLIRT by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES THE LAST LEAF by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES SONNET: 45 by EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY CEREMONIAL ODE; INTENDED FOR A UNIVERSITY by LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE EPILOGUE TO LESSING'S LAOCOON by MATTHEW ARNOLD JAY A-PASS'D by WILLIAM BARNES |