Love is my sin and thy dear virtue hate, Hate of my sin, grounded on sinful loving: O, but with mine compare thou thine own state, And thou shalt find it merits not reproving; Or, if it do, not from those lips of thine, That have profaned their scarlet ornaments And seal'd false bonds of love as oft as mine, Robb'd others' beds' revenues of their rents. Be it lawful I love thee, as thou lovest those Whom thine eyes woo as mine importune thee: Root pity in thy heart, that when it grows Thy pity may deserve to pitied be. If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide, By self-example mayst thou be denied! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WORLD'S TRIUMPHS by MATTHEW ARNOLD THE BIRTHPLACE OF DREAMS by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE THE ARTIST'S PRAYER by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON AN OLD PRIMA DONNA SPEAKS by HELEN WIEAND COLE ON HIS APPROACHING VISIT TO HAYLEY by WILLIAM COWPER THE RESURRECTION by GEORGE CRABBE A DIRGE by OLIVE TILFORD DARGAN |