Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PRIMROSE, BEING AT MOUNTGOMERY CASTLE, UPON THE HILL ..., by JOHN DONNE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PRIMROSE, BEING AT MOUNTGOMERY CASTLE, UPON THE HILL ..., by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Upon this primrose hill
Last Line: First into this, five, women may take us all.


Upon this Primrose hill,
Where, if Heav'n would distill
A shoure of raine, each severall drop might goe
To his owne primrose, and grow Manna so;
And where their forme, and their infinitie
Make a terrestriall Galaxie,
As the small starres doe in the skie:
I walke to finde a true Love; and I see
That 'tis not a mere woman, that is shee,
But must, or more, or lesse then woman bee.

Yet know I not, which flower
I wish; a sixe, or foure;
For should my true-Love lesse then woman bee,
She were scarce any thing; and then, should she
Be more then woman, shee would get above
All thought of sexe, and thinke to move
My heart to study her, and not to love;
Both these were monsters; Since there must reside
Falshood in woman, I could more abide,
She were by art, then Nature falsify'd.

Live Primrose then, and thrive
With thy true number five;
And women, whom this flower doth represent,
With this mysterious number be content;
Ten is the farthest number; if halfe ten
Belonge unto each woman, then
Each woman may take halfe us men;
Or if this will not serve their turne, Since all
Numbers are odde, or even, and they fall
First into this, five, women may take us all.





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