Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE INQUIRY, by THOMAS TRAHERNE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE INQUIRY, by                 Poet's Biography
First Line: Men may delighted be with springs
Last Line: And that his godhead in his works doth shine.
Subject(s): Angels


1

Men may delighted be with springs,
While trees and herbs their senses please,
And taste even living nectar in the seas:
May think their members things
Of earthly worth at least, if not divine,
And sing because the earth for them doth shine.

2

But can the angels take delight,
To see such faces here beneath?
Or can perfumes indeed from dunghills breathe?
Or is the world a sight
Worthy of them? Then may we mortals be
Surrounded with eternal clarity.

3

Even holy angels may come down
To walk on earth, and see delights,
That feed and please, even here, their appetites.
Our joys may make a crown
For them. And in His tabernacle men may be
Like palms we mingled with the cherubs see.

4

Men's senses are indeed the gems,
Their praises the most sweet perfumes,
Their eyes the thrones, their hearts the heavenly rooms,
Their souls the diadems,
Their tongues the organs which they love to hear,
Their cheeks and faces like to theirs appear.

5

The wonders which our God hath done,
The glories of His attributes,
Like dangling apples or like golden fruits,
Angelic joys become.
His wisdom shines, on earth His love doth flow,
Like myrrh or incense even here below.

6

And shall not we such joys possess,
Which God for man did chiefly make?
The angels have them only for our sake!
And yet they all confess
His glory here on earth to be divine,
And that His Godhead in His works doth shine.





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