Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, IN ALLUSION TO THE FRENCH SONG 'N'ETENDEZ VOUS PAS CE LANGUAGE', by RICHARD LOVELACE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

IN ALLUSION TO THE FRENCH SONG 'N'ETENDEZ VOUS PAS CE LANGUAGE', by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: How often have my tears
Last Line: This language wants both tongue and voice.


Chorus. Then understand you not, fair choice,
This language without tongue or voice?
How often have my tears
Invaded your soft ears,
And dropp'd their silent chimes
A thousand thousand times,
Whilst Echo did your eyes,
And sweetly sympathize;
But that the wary lid
Their sluices did forbid!

Chorus. Then understand you not, fair choice,
This language without tongue or voice?
My arms did plead my wound,
Each in the other bound;
Volleys of sighs did crowd,
And ring my griefs aloud;
Groans, like a cannon ball,
Batter'd the marble wall,
That the kind neighb'ring grove
Did mutiny for love.

Chorus. Then understand you not, fair choice,
This language without tongue or voice?

The rhet'ric of my hand
Woo'd you to understand;
Nay, in our silent walk
My very feet would talk,
My knees were eloquent,
And spake the love I meant;
But deaf unto that air,
They, bent, would fall in prayer.

Chorus. Yet understand you not, fair choice;
This language without tongue or voice?

No? Know then, I would melt
On every limb I felt,
And on each naked part
Spread my expanded heart,
That not a vein of thee
But should be fill'd with me;
Whilst on thine own down I
Would tumble, pant, and die.
Chorus. You understand not this, fair choice;
This language wants both tongue and voice.





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