Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, by GEORGE HERBERT


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GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: And art thou grieved, sweet and sacred dove
Last Line: My want of tears with store of bloud.
Variant Title(s): Ephes. 4. 30. Grieve Not The Holy Spirit, Etc.
Subject(s): Repentance; Penitence


AND art thou grieved, sweet and sacred Dove,
When I am sowre,
And crosse thy love?
Grieved for me? the God of strength and power
Griev'd for a worm, which, when I tread,
I passe away and leave it dead?

Then weep, mine eyes, the God of love doth grieve:
Weep, foolish heart,
And weeping live;
For death is drie as dust. Yet if ye part,
End as the night, whose sable hue
Your sinnes expresse: melt into dew.

When sawcie mirth shall knock or call at doore,
Cry out, Get hence;
Or cry no more.
Almightie God doth grieve, he puts on sense:
I sinne not to my grief alone,
But to my Gods too; he doth grone.

O take thy lute, and tune it to a strain,
Which may with thee
All day complain.
There can no discord but in ceasing be.
Marbles can weep; and surely strings
More bowels have than such hard things.

Lord, I adjudge myself to tears and grief,
Ev'n endlesse tears,
Without relief.
If a cleare spring for me no time forbears,
But runnes, although I be not drie;
I am no crystall, what shall I?

Yet if I wail not still, (since still to wail
Nature denies;
And flesh would fail,
If my deserts were masters of mine eyes:)
Lord, pardon, for thy Sonne makes good
My want of tears with store of bloud.





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