Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LOVE'S WORLD, by JOHN SUCKLING Poet's Biography First Line: In each man's heart that doth begin Last Line: The rest hereafter will discover. | ||||||||
IN each man's heart that doth begin To love, there's ever fram'd within A little world, for so I found, When first my passion reason drown'd. Instead of earth unto this frame, Earth. I had a faith was still the same; For to be right it doth behoove It be as that, fix'd and not move; Yet as the earth may sometimes shake (For winds shut up will cause a quake), So, often jealousy and fear, Stol'n into mine, cause tremblings there. My Flora was my sun, for as Sun. One sun, so but one Flora was: All other faces borrow'd hence Their light and grace, as stars do thence. My hopes I call my moon, for they, Moon. Inconstant still, were at no stay; But as my sun inclin'd to me, Or more or less were sure to be: Sometimes it would be full, and then Oh, too too soon decrease again; Eclips'd sometimes, that 'twould so fall There would appear no hope at all. My thoughts, 'cause infinite they be, Stars. Must be those many stars we see; Of which some wand'red at their will, Fixed Planets. But most on her were fixed still. My burning flame and hot desire Element of fire. Must be the element of fire, Which hath as yet so secret been, That it as that was never seen: No kitchen fire nor eating flame, But innocent, hot but in name; A fire that's starv'd when fed, and gone When too much fuel is laid on. But as it plainly doth appear That fire subsists by being near The moon's bright orb, so I believe Ours doth, for hope keeps love alive. My fancy was the air, most free Air. And full of mutability, Big with chimeras, vapours here Innumerable hatch'd as there. The sea 's my mind, which calm would be, Sea. Were it from winds (my passions) free; But out, alas! no sea I find Is troubled like a lover's mind. Within it rocks and shallows be, Despair and fond credulity. But in this world it were good reason We did distinguish time and season; Her presence then did make the day, And night shall come when she's away. Long absence in far-distant place Creates the Winter; and the space Winter. She tarri'd with me, well I might Call it my Summer of delight. Summer. Diversity of weather came From what she did, and thence had name; Sometimes sh' would smile---that made it fair; And when she laugh'd, the sun shin'd clear. Sometimes sh' would frown, and sometimes weep, So clouds and rain their turns do keep; Sometimes again sh' would be all ice, Extremely cold, extremely nice. But soft, my Muse, the world is wide, And all at once was not descri'd: It may fall out some honest lover The rest hereafter will discover. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A SUPPLEMENT OF AN IMPERFECT COPY OF VERSES OF MR. WILL. SHAKESPEARE'S by JOHN SUCKLING UPON MY LADY CARLISLE'S WALKING IN HAMPTON COURT GARDEN by JOHN SUCKLING A PEDLAR OF SMALL-WARES by JOHN SUCKLING A PROLOGUE OF THE AUTHOR'S TO A MASQUE AT WHITTON by JOHN SUCKLING |
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