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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 132 by EDWARD TAYLOR

Poet Analysis

First Line: PARDON MY LORD, I HUMBLY BEG THE SAME
Last Line: MY BREATH SHALL LILLY TUNES SWEET SING TO THEE.
Subject(s): FLOWERS; LILIES; PURITANS IN LITERATURE;
Pardon my Lord, I humbly beg the Same
Of thy most blessed Gracious selfe thy hand.
For if I nothing touch thy glorious name
Showing its praise I shall unworthy stand.
And if I 'tempt to celebrate thy fame
It is too bright: my jagging pen will't stain.

The words my pen doth teem are far too Faint
And not significant enough to shew
Thy Famous fame or mine affection paint
Unto thy famous Selfe in vivid hew.
My jarring Pen makes but a ragged line
Unfit to be enricht with glories thine.

But thus I force myselfe to speake of thee.
If I had better thou shouldst better have.
It grieves me I no better have for thee
Finding thou art the Lilly growing brave
Even of the Vally rich where lillies grow
Of Graces Bright making a gracious Show.

These Lillies White all glorious shining bright
Mongst which thou feeding art sweet breathing flower
That Entertain thy Sight and Smell most right
With Sweetest Splender of rich Grace in power.
@3I hope I am one of these Lillies pure
Whose breath and Beauty do thy joy procure.@1

Lord make my Heart the Vally, and plant there
Thyselfe the Lillie there to grow. No Scorns
Shall me amuse, if I'me thy Lilly clear,
@3All though I be thy Lilly midst of thorns.
If I thy Lilly Fair and Sweet be thine
My heart shall be thy Harbor. Thou art mine.@1

If I thy Vally, thou its Lilly bee.
My Heart shall be thy Chrystall looking Glass
Shewing thy Lillies Face most cleare in mee
In shape and beauty that doth brightly flash.
My Looking Glass shall weare thy Lillies Face
As tis thy Looking Glass of Every Grace.

My Heart shall then yield thee the Object right
Of both thy Spirituall Sight and Smell most clear
Standing inrounded in in sweet delight.
Thou growing Lilly in't dost feed too there
Thus in the Vally and growst very cleare
And fill my Vally with perfumed fare.

@3Make mee thy Lilly, Lord and be thou mine.@1
Be thou the Lilly, me its vally right.
Thou th'Lillie then shalt make my Vallys shine
Thou feeding mongst the lillies, with delight.
@3I then shall weare thy Lillies Whitness fair.@1
My Lungues like bellows shall puff out sweet air.

My Vally then shall filld be with Sweet air.
My Songs shall blow out Sweetend breath therein
That shall perfume the very aire that wears
The aromatick breaths breathd out most thin.
If thou my Lilly, I its Vally bee.
My Breath shall Lilly tunes sweet sing to thee.



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