ENTERING your door, I started back; sure this, Said I, Death's shady house and household is; And yonder shines a beauty, as of old Magnificent tombs eternal lamps did hold, In lieu of life's light, a fair taper hid In a dark lanthorn; an eye shut in's lid; A flower in shade; a star in night's dark womb; An alabaster column to a tomb. But why this night in day? Can thy fair eye Delight in such an Aethiop's company? Man hath too many natural clouds: his blood And flesh so blind his hood-wink'd soul, that good Is scarce discern'd from bad; why should we then Seek out an artificial darksome den? The better part of nature hidden lies; The stars indeed we may behold, and skies, But not their influence; we see the fire But not the heat; why then should we desire More night, when darkness so o'er nature lies, That all things mask their better qualities? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DOMESDAY BOOK: WIDOW FORTELKA by EDGAR LEE MASTERS UNDER A TELEPHONE POLE by CARL SANDBURG THE OLD MEN by WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS THE OLD ARM-CHAIR by ELIZA COOK MENAPHON: SEPHESTIA'S [CRADLE] SONG TO HER CHILD by ROBERT GREENE STRANGE MEETINGS: 10 by HAROLD MONRO |