Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PRINCESS LOUISA DRAWING, by RICHARD LOVELACE



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PRINCESS LOUISA DRAWING, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I saw a little deity
Last Line: Beauties than they destroy'd before.


I SAW a little deity,
Minerva in epitome,
Whom Venus, at first blush, surpris'd,
Took for her winged wag disguis'd;
But viewing then whereas she made
Not a distress'd, but lively shade
Of Echo, whom he had betray'd,
Now wanton, and i' th' cool o' th' sun
With her delight a-hunting gone;
And thousands more, whom he had slain,
To live, and love, belov'd again:
Ah, this is true divinity!
I will ungod that toy! cri'd she;
Then mark'd the Syrinx running fast
To Pan's embraces, with the haste
She fled him once, whose reed-pipe rent,
He finds now a new instrument.
Theseus, return'd, invokes the air
And winds, then wafts his fair;
Whilst Ariadne ravish'd stood
Half in his arms, half in the flood.

Proud Anaxarete doth fall
At Iphis' feet, who smiles of all;
And he, whilst she his curls doth deck,
Hangs nowhere now but on her neck.

Here Phœbus with a beam untombs
Long-hid Leucothoë, and dooms
Her father there; Daphne the fair
Knows now no bays but round her hair;
And to Apollo and his sons
Who pay him their due orisons,
Bequeaths her laurel-robe, that flame
Contemns, thunder and evil fame.

There kneel'd Adonis fresh as Spring,
Gay as his youth, now offering
Herself those joys with voice and hand,
Which first he could not understand.

Transfixed Venus stood amaz'd,
Full of the boy and love she gaz'd;
And in embraces seemed more
Senseless and cold than he before.
Useless child! In vain, said she,
You bear that fond artillery:
See here a pow'r above the slow
Weak execution of thy bow.

So said, she riv'd the wood in two,
Unedged all his arrows too,
And with the string their feathers bound
To that part whence we have our wound.

See, see! the darts by which we burn'd
Are bright Louisa's pencils turn'd;
With which she now enliveth more
Beauties than they destroy'd before.





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