Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 66, by EDWARD TAYLOR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 2D SERIES: 66, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: O! What a thing is love? Who can define
Last Line: The glory of thy love when entred in.
Subject(s): Puritans In Literature


O! what a thing is Love? who can define
Or liniament it out? Its strange to tell.
A Sparke of Spirit empearld pill like and fine
In't shugard pargings, crusted, and doth dwell
Within the heart, where thron'd, without Controle
It ruleth all the Inmates of the Soule.

It makes a poother in its Secret Sell
Mongst the affections: oh! it swells, its paind,
Like kirnells soked untill it breaks its Shell
Unless its object be obtained and gain'd.
Like Caskd wines jumbled breake the Caske, this Sparke
Oft swells when crusht: untill it breakes the Heart.

O! Strange Strange Love! 'Stroy Life and't selfe thereby.
Hence lose its Object, lay down all't can moove.
For nothing rather choose indeed to dy,
And nothing be, than be without its love.
Not t'be, than be without its fanci'de bliss!
Is this Love's nature? What a thing is this?

Love thus ascending to its highest twig,
May sit and Cherp such ditties. Sing and dy.
This highest Note is but a Black-Cap's jig
Compar'd to thine my Lord, all Heavenly.
A greater love than such man ne'er mentain'd.
A greater Love than such thou yet hast gain'd.

Thy Love laid down thy Life hath for thy Sheep:
Thy friends by grace: thy foes by Nature's Crimes.
And yet thy Life more precious is and sweet
More worth than all the World ten thousand times.
And yet thy Love did give bright Wisdoms Shine
In laying down thy precious life for thine.

This Love was ne'er adulterate: e're pure.
Noe Whiffe of Fancy: But rich Wisdomes Beams,
No Huff of Hot affection men endure.
But sweetend Chimings of Celestiall gleams
Play'd and Display'd upon the golden Wyer
That doth thy Human Cymball brave, attire.

Thy Love that laid thy life all down for thine
Did not thereby destroy itselfe at all.
It was preserved in thy Selfe Divine
When it did make thy Humane Selfe down fall.
And when thy body as the Sun up rose
It did itselfe like flaming beames disclose.

Lord, let thy Love shine on my Soule! Mee bath
In this Celestiall Gleame of this pure Love.
O! gain my heart and thou my Love shalt have
Clime up thy golden Stares to thee above.
And in thy upper Chamber sit and sing
The glory of thy Love when Entred in.





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