Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PASSIONS, by ABRAHAM COWLEY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PASSIONS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: From hate, fear, hope, anger, and envy free
Last Line: Call in the states of holland to their aid.
Subject(s): Passion


1.

FRom Hate, Fear, Hope, Anger, and Envy free,
And all the Passions els that be,
In vain I boast of Liberty,
In vain this State a Freedome call;
Since I have Love, and Love is all:
Sot that I am, who think it fit to bragge,
That I have no Disease besides the Plaguel

2.

So in a zeale the Sons of Israel,
Sometimes upon their Idols fell;
And they depos'd the powers of Hell;
Baal, and Astarte down they threw,
And Accaron and Molock too;
All this imperfect Piety did no good,
Whilst yet, alas, the Calfe of Bethel stood.

3.

Fondly I boast, that I have drest my Vine
With painfull Art, and that the wine
Is of a tast rich and divine,
Since Love, by mixing poyson there,
Has made it worse then vineger.
Love even the tast of Nectar changes so,
That Gods chose rather Water here below.

4.

Fear, Anger, Hope, all passions else that be,
Drive this one Tyrant out of Me,
And practise all your Tyranny.
The change of ills some good will do:
Th' oppressed wretched Indians so,
Being slaves by the great Spanish Monarch made,
Call in the States of Holland to their Aid.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


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