Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ODOR, by GEORGE HERBERT


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ODOR, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: How sweetly doth my master sound! My master!
Last Line: Should all my life employ, and busie me.


2 Cor. ii.

HOW sweetly doth My Master sound! My Master.
As amber-greese leaves a rich scent
Unto the taster;
So do these words a sweet content,
An orientall fragrancie, My Master.

With these all day I do perfume my minde,
My mind ev'n thrust into them both;
That I might finde
What cordials make this curious broth,
This broth of smells, that feeds and fats my minde.

My Master, shall I speak? O that to thee
My Servant were a little so,
As flesh may be;
That these two words might creep and grow
To some degree of spicinesse to thee!

Then should the pomander, which was before
A speaking sweet, mend by reflection,
And tell me more:
For pardon of my imperfection
Would warm and work it sweeter than before.

For when My Master, which alone is sweet,
And ev'n in my unworthinesse pleasing,
Shall call and meet
My Servant, as thee not displeasing,
That call is but the breathing of the sweet.

This breathing would with gains, by sweetning me,
(As sweet things traffick when they meet,)
Return to thee:
And so this new commerce and sweet
Should all my life employ, and busie me.





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