Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DESPAIR by ABRAHAM COWLEY

Poet Analysis

First Line: BENEATH THIS GLOOMY SHADE
Last Line: THAT THOU SHOULDST COME TO LIVE IT O'RE AGAIN IN MEE?
Subject(s): DESPAIR;
1.

BEneath this gloomy shade,
By Nature only for my sorrows made,
I'le spend this voice in cries,
In tears I'l wast these eyes
By Love so vainly fed;
So Lust of old the Deluge punished.
Ah wretched youth! said I!
Ah wretched youth! twice did I sadly cry:
Ah wretched youth! the fields and floods reply.

2.

When thoughts of Love I entertaine,
I meet no words but Never, and In vaine.
Never (alas) that dreadfull name,
Which fewells the infernall flame:
Never, my time to come must wast;
In vaine, torments the present and the past,
In vain, in vain! said I;
In vain, in vain! twice did I sadly cry;
In vain, in vain! the fields and floods reply.

3.

No more shall fields or floods do so;
For I to shades more dark and silent go:
All this world's noise appears to me
A dull ill-acted Comedy:
No comfort to my wounded sight,
In the Sun's busie and impert'nent Light.
Then down I laid my head;
Down on cold earth; and for a while was dead,
And my freed Soul to a strange Somewhere fled.

4.

Ah sottish Soule; said I,
When back t' its Cage again I saw it fly;
Fool to resume his broken chain!
And row his Galley here again!
Fool, to that body to returne
Where it condemn'd and destin'd is to burn!
Once dead, how can it be,
Death should a thing so pleasant seem to Thee.
That thou shouldst come to live it o're again in Mee?







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