Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ODE; VALEDICTORY, by CHARLES COTTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ODE; VALEDICTORY, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I go: but never to return
Last Line: Or sleep in peace, or live again.
Subject(s): Love


I

I GO: but never to return:
With such a killing flame I burn,
Not all th' enraged waves that beat
My ship's calk't ribs, can quench that heat:
Nor thy disdains, which colder are
Than climates of the northern star,
Can freeze the blood, warm'd by thine eye:
But Sweet, I must thy martyr die.

II

Oh! canst thou know, that losing thee,
The universe is dead to me,
And I to it, yet not become
So kind, as to revoke my doom?
Gentle Heart, do; if I remove,
How can I hope t' achieve thy love?
If not, I shall 't a blessing call,
That she, who wounds may see my fall.

III

Or say thou lov'st, and bid me go
Where never sun his face did show:
Or to, what's worse, want of thy light,
Which dissipates the shades of night;
To dangers, Death, Hell dares not own,
Scarcely to apprehension known,
Arm'd with thy will (despite of fear)
I'll seek them, as if thou wer't there.

IV

But, if thou wilt I die, and that,
By, worse than thousand deaths, thy hate;
When I am dead, if thou but pay
My tomb a tear, and sighing say,
Thou do'st my timeless fall deplore,
Wishing th' had'st known my truth before;
My dearest Dear, thou mak'st me then,
Or sleep in peace, or live again.





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