Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ARCADIA: PEACE, by PHILIP SIDNEY



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ARCADIA: PEACE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Fair rocks, goodly rivers, sweet woods, when shall I see peace?
Last Line: Devils? If in hell such devils do abide, to the hells I do go. Go.
Variant Title(s): Echo
Subject(s): Peace


Fair rocks, goodly rivers, sweet woods, when shall I see peace? Peace.
Peace? what bars me my tongue? who is that comes me so nigh? I.
Oh! I do know what guest I have met; it is Echo. 'Tis Echo.
Well met, Echo, approach; then tell me thy will too. I will too.
Echo, what do I get yielding my sprite to my griefs? Griefs.
What medicine may I find for a pain that draws me to death? Death.
O poisonous medicine! what worse to me can be than it? It.
In what state was I then, when I took this deadly disease? Ease.
And what manner a mind which had to that humor a vain? Vain.
Hath not reason enough vehemence the desire to reprove? Prove.
Oft prove I; but what salve, when reason seeks to be gone? One.
Oh! what is it? what is it that may be a salve to my love? Love.
What do lovers seek for, long seeking for to enjoy? Joy.
What be the joys for which to enjoy they went to the pains? Pains.
Then to an earnest love what doth best victory lend? End.
End? but I can never end, love will not give me the leave. Leave.
How be the minds disposed that cannot taste thy physic? Sick.
Yet say again thy advice for th' ev'ls that I told thee. I told thee.
Doth th' infected wretch, of his evil th' extremity know? No.
But if he know not his harms, what guides hath he whilst he be blind? Blind.
What blind guides can he have that leans to a fancy? A fancy.
Can fancies want eyes, or he fall that steppeth aloft? Oft.
What causes first made these torments on me to light? Light.
Can then a cause be so light that forceth a man to go die? Aye.
Yet tell what light thing I had in me to draw me to die? Eye.
Eyesight made me to yield, but what first pierced to mine eyes? Eyes.
Eyes' hurters, eyes hurt, but what from them to me falls? Falls.
But when I first did fall, what brought most fall to my heart? Art.
Art? what can be that art which thou dost mean by thy speech? Speech.
What be the fruits of speaking art? what grows by the words? Words.
O much more than words; those words served more to me bless. Less.
Oh when shall I be known, where most to be known I do long? Long.
Long be thy woes for such news, but how recks she my thoughts? Oughts.
Then, then, what do I gain, since unto her will I do wind? Wind.
Wind, tempests, and storms, yet in end what gives she desire? Ire.
Silly reward! Yet among women hath she of virtue the most. Most.
What great name may I give to so heav'nly a woman? A woe-man.
Woe but seems to me joy, that agrees to my thought so. I thought so.
Think so, for of my desired bliss it is only the course. Curse.
Cursed by thyself for cursing that which leads me to joys. Toys.
What be the sweet creatures where lowly demands be not heard? Hard.
Hard to be got, but got constant, to be held like steels. Eels.
How can they be unkind? speak for th' hast narrowly pried. Pride.
Whence can pride come there, since springs of beauty be thence? Thence.
Horrible is this blasphemy unto the most holy. O lie.
Thou li'st false Echo; their minds as virtue, be just. Just.
Mock'st thou those diamonds which only be matched by the gods? dds.
Odds? what an odds is there, since them to the heavens I prefer? Err.
Tell yet again me the names of these fair formed to do evils. Devils.
Devils? if in hell such devils do abide, to the hells I do go. Go.





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