Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF JOHN LITTLETON, WHO WAS DROWNED ..., by ABRAHAM COWLEY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF JOHN LITTLETON, WHO WAS DROWNED ..., by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: And must these waters smile againe? And play
Last Line: In light finds darknes, and in darknes light.
Subject(s): Drowning


AND must these waters smile againe? and play
About the shore as they did yesterday?
Will the Sun court them still? and shall they show
No conscious wrinckle furrowed on their brow,
That to the thirsty Travaylor may say,
I am accurst, goe turne some other way?
It is unjust; blacke floud, thy guilt is more,
Sprung from his losse, then all thy watery store
Can give thee teares to mourne for: birds shall bee
And beasts henceforth afraid to drinke of thee.
What have I said? my pious rage hath beene
Too hot, and acts whilst it accuseth sinne.
Thou'rt innocent I know, still cleere, and bright,
Fit whence so pure a soule should take it's flight.
How is my angry zeale confin'd? for hee
Must quarrell with his love and pietie,
That would revenge his death; Oh I shall sinne,
And wish anon hee had lesse vertuous beene.
For when his Brother (teares for him I'de spill
But they're all challeng'd by the greater ill)
Strugled for life with the rude waves, hee too
Leapt in, and when hope no faint beame could show,
His charity shone most; thou shalt, said hee,
Live with mee, Brother, or I'le dye with thee;
And so hee did; had hee beene thine o Rome.
Thou wouldst have call'd this death a Martyrdome.
And Saynted him; my conscience give me leave,
I'le doe so too; if fate will us bereave
Of him wee honor'd living, there must bee
A kind of reverence to his memory
After his death; and where more just then here
Where life and end were both so singuler?
Of which th' one griefe, the other imitation
Of all men vindicates, both admiration.
Hee that had only talk't with him might find
A little Academy in his mind;
Where Wisedome, Master was, and Fellowes all
Which wee can good, which wee can vertuous call.
Reason, and Holy Feare the Proctors were
To apprehend those words, those thoughts that erre.
His learning had outrun the rest of heyres.
Stolne beard from tyme, and leapt to twenty yeares.
And as the Sunne, though in full glorie bright,
Shines upon all men with impartiall light,
And a good-morrow to the begger brings
With as full rayes as to the mightiest Kings;
So hee, although his worth just state might clayme,
And give to pride an honorable name,
With curtesy to all cloth'd vertue so
That 'twas not higher then his thoughts were low.
In's body too no Critique eye could find
The smallest blemish to bely his mind;
Hee was all purenes, and his outward part
The looking-glasse and picture of his heart.
When waters swallow'd mankind, and did cheate
The hungry worme of it's expected meate;
When gemmes, pluckt from the shoare by ruder hands,
Return'd againe unto their native sands;
'Mongst all those spoyles there was not any pray
Could equall what this brooke hath stolen away.
Weepe then, sad Floud; and though thou 'rt innocent,
Weepe because fate made thee her instrument:
And when long griefe hath drunke up all thy store,
Come to our eyes, and wee will lend thee more.

As unseene light did from the Father flow,
So did seene light from Virgin Marie grow.
When Moses sought God in a shade to see,
The Father shade was, Christ the Deitie.
Lett's seeke for day wee darknes, whil'st our sight,
In light finds darknes, and in darknes light.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net