LOVE, drunk the other day, knock'd at my breast, But I, alas! was not within: My man, my ear, told me he came t' attest That without cause h' had boxed him, And battered the windows of mine eyes, And took my heart for one of's nunneries. I wond'red at the outrage safe return'd, And stormed at the base affront; And by a friend of mine, bold Faith, that burn'd, I call'd him to a strict accompt. He said that, by the law, the challeng'd might Take the advantage both of arms and fight. Two darts of equal length and points he sent, And nobly gave the choice to me; Which I not weigh'd, young and indifferent, Now full of naught but victory. So we both met in one of 's mother's groves, The time, at the first murm'ring of her doves. I stripp'd myself naked all o'er, as he, For so I was best arm'd, when bare; His first pass did my liver rase, yet I Made home a falsify too near, For when my arm to its true distance came, I nothing touch'd but a fantastic flame. This, this is Love we daily quarrel so, An idle Don-Quixotery: We whip ourselves with our own twisted woe, And wound the air for a fly. The only way t' undo this enemy Is to laugh at the boy, and he will cry. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SOLILOQUY OF THE SPANISH CLOISTER by ROBERT BROWNING A REASONABLE AFFLICTION (1) by MATTHEW PRIOR IN STATE by BYRON FORCEYTHE WILLSON INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BALLET by MAXWELL BODENHEIM INSPIRATION by ABBIE FARWELL BROWN THE DOCTOR by THOMAS EDWARD BROWN VERMONT WILL DO HER PART by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 3. A LONG JOURNEY by EDWARD CARPENTER |