Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LOVE'S REBEL, by HENRY HOWARD


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

LOVE'S REBEL, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: When summer took in hand the winter to assail
Last Line: Strive not with love, for if ye do, it will ye thus befall.
Alternate Author Name(s): Surrey, Earl Of
Variant Title(s): Complaint Of A Lover, That Defied Love


When summer took in hand the winter to assail
With force of might and virtue great his stormy blasts to quail,
And when he clothed fair the earth about with green,
And every tree new garmented, that pleasure was to seen,
Mine heart gan new revive, and changed blood did stir
Me to withdraw my winter woe, that kept within the door.
"Abroad," quod my desire, "assay to set thy foot
Where thou shalt find the savor sweet, for sprung is every root,
And to thy health, if thou were sick in any case,
Nothing more good than in the spring the air to feel a space.
There shalt thou hear and see all kinds of birds ywrought,
Well tune their voice with warble small, as Nature hath them taught."
Thus pricked me my lust the sluggish house to leave,
And for my health I thought it best such counsel to receive.
So on a morrow forth, unwist of any wight,
I went to prove how well it would my heavy burden light.
And when I felt the air so pleasant round about,
Lord, to myself how glad I was that I had gotten out!
There might I see how ver had every blossom hent,
And eke the new betrothed birds ycoupled how they went.
And in their songs methought they thanked Nature much
That by her license all that year to love, their hap was such,
Right as they could devise to choose them feres throughout.
With much rejoicing to their Lord thus flew they all about.
Which when I gan resolve, and in my head conceive,
What pleasant life, what heaps of joy, these little birds receive,
And saw in what estate I weary man was brought
By want of that they had at will, and I reject at naught;
Lord, how I gan in wrath unwisely me demean!
I cursed love, and him defied; I thought to turn the stream.
But when I well beheld he had me under awe,
I asked mercy for my fault, that so transgressed his law.
"Thou blinded god," quod I, "forgive me this offense.
Unwittingly I went about to malice thy pretense."
Wherewith he gave a beck, and thus methought he swore:
"Thy sorrow ought suffice to purge thy fault, if it were more."
The virtue of which sound mine heart did so revive
That I, methought, was made as whole as any man alive.
But here ye may perceive mine error, all and some,
For that I thought that so it was, yet was it still undone;
And all that was no more but mine empressed mind,
That fain would have some good relief of Cupid well assigned.
I turned home forthwith, and might perceive it well
That he aggrieved was right sore with me for my rebel.
My harms have ever since increased more and more,
And I remain, without his help, undone for evermore.
A mirror let me be unto ye lovers all:
Strive not with love, for if ye do, it will ye thus befall.





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