Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, UPON COMBING HER HAIR, by EDWARD HERBERT



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

UPON COMBING HER HAIR, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Breaking from under that thy cloudy veil
Last Line: And strike out day from thy yet fairer eyes.
Alternate Author Name(s): Cherbury, 1st Baron Herbert Of; Herbert Of Cherbury, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron; Herbert Of Cherbury, Lord
Subject(s): Hair


BREAKING from under that thy cloudy veil,
Open and shine yet more, shine out more clear,
Thou glorious golden-beam-darting hair,
Even till my wonder-strucken senses fail.

Shoot out in light, and shine those rays on far,
Thou much more fair than is the Queen of Love
When she doth comb her in her sphere above,
And from a planet turns a blazing star.

Nay, thou art greater too, more destiny
Depends on thee than on her influence,
No hair thy fatal hand doth now dispense,
But to someone a thread of life must be.

While, gracious unto me, thou both dost sunder
Those glories which, if they united were,
Might have amazed sense, and show'st each hair,
Which if alone had been too great a wonder.

And now, spread in their goodly length, sh' appears
No creature which the earth might call her own,
But rather one that in her gliding down
Heav'n's beams did crown, to show us she was theirs.

And come from thence, how can they fear Time's rage,
Which, in his power else on earth most strange,
Such golden treasure doth to silver change,
By that improper alchemy of age?

But stay, methinks new beauties do arise,
While she withdraws these glories which were spread.
Wonder of beauties, set thy radiant head,
And strike out day from thy yet fairer eyes.





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