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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
ODE UPON THE SHORTNESS OF MAN'S LIFE, by ABRAHAM COWLEY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Marke that swifte arrow how it cuts the ayre Last Line: T' out-live nestor in a day. Variant Title(s): On The Shortness Of Life Subject(s): Mortality; Time | |||
MArke that swift Arrow how it cuts the ayre, How it out-runnes thy hunting eye! Vse all perswasions now, and try If thou canst call it backe, or stay it there. That way it went, but thou shalt find No tract of 't left behind. Foole 'tis thy life, and the fond Archer, thou, Of all the time thou'st shot away Ile bid thee fetch but yesterday, And it shall be too hard a taske to doe. Besides repentance, what canst find That it hath left behind? Our life is carried with too strong a tyde, A doubtfull cloud our substance beares, And is the horse of all our yeeres. Each day doth on a winged whirle-wind ride. Wee and our Glasse run out, and must Both render up our dust. But his past life who without griefe can see, Who never thinkes his end too neere, But sayes to Fame thou art mine Heire. That man extends life's naturall brevitie, This is, this is the onely way T' out-live Nestor in a day. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ELEVEN EYES: FINAL SECTION by LYN HEJINIAN THE FATALIST: COME OCTOBER by LYN HEJINIAN THE FATALIST: HOME by LYN HEJINIAN THE FATALIST: TIME IS FILLED by LYN HEJINIAN SLOWLY: I FREQUENTLY SLOWLY WISH by LYN HEJINIAN ALL THE DIFFICULT HOURS AND MINUTES by JANE HIRSHFIELD A DAY IS VAST by JANE HIRSHFIELD FROM THIS HEIGHT by TONY HOAGLAND |
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