Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LINES, by SIDNEY GODOLPHIN Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Fair shadow, stay, may I for ever see Last Line: My thoughts, and in your scorn, your beauty dies. | ||||||||
FAIR shadow, stay, may I for ever see Thy beauty sever'd from thy cruelty, As in this dream, do not so soon destroy So dear to me, to you so cheap a joy. See my thoughts now, impute no more to me My past complaints and infelicity, As if those needs, fruits of my nature were, And that in me nothing can grow but care; Witness with me my yet diffused heart Which your kind image doth not quite depart, That your fair eyes do nowhere else dispense On matter more prepared, their influence: Your will hath planted all the grief I know, Neglect alone would not so far undo, Self-flattery would still produce content. If you were but so kind as to consent, Though not to favour, my whole life had been Though without harvest, a perpetual Spring. If you had pleased, all nature hath been spent And a new vigour hath been often lent From the returning heavens, whilst my sun A voluntary instant course doth run: See how already your kind image flies My thoughts, and in your scorn, your beauty dies. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A LOVER AND HIS MISTRESS by SIDNEY GODOLPHIN A FAREWELL by SIDNEY GODOLPHIN ELEGIE ON D.D. by SIDNEY GODOLPHIN |
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