Have I caught my heavenly jewel Teaching sleep most fair to be? Now will I teach her that she, When she wakes, is too too cruel. Since sweet sleep her eyes hath charmed, The two only darts of love: Now will I with that boy prove Some play, while he is disarmed. Her tongue waking still refuseth, Giving frankly niggard 'no'; Now will I attempt to know What 'no' her tongue sleeping useth. See, the hand which, waking, guardeth, Sleeping, grants a free resort; Now will I invade the fort; Cowards love with loss rewardeth. But, O fool, think of the danger Of her just and high disdain; Now will I, alas, refrain; Love fears nothing else but anger. Yet those lips so sweetly swelling Do invite a stealing kiss: Now will I but venture this; Who will read, must first learn spelling. O sweet kiss -- but ah, she is waking, Louring beauty chastens me; Now will I away hence flee; Fool, more fool, for no more taking. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...EPITAPHS OF THE WAR, 1914-18: THE COWARD by RUDYARD KIPLING CIRCUS AT NIGHT by MADELEINE AARON PIONEERS OF SOUTH DAKOTA by CHARLOTTE LOUISE BERTLESEN PSALM 143 by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE RHOECUS by ABBIE FARWELL BROWN DRYBURGH by AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR OLNEY HYMNS: 31. ON THE DEATH OF A MINISTER by WILLIAM COWPER |