Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE RAINBOW, by HENRY VAUGHAN Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Still young and fine! But what is still in view Last Line: Thou dost but court cold rain, till rain turns fire. Alternate Author Name(s): Silurist Subject(s): Rainbows | ||||||||
Still young and fine! but what is still in view We slight as old and soiled, though fresh and new. How bright wert thou, when Shem's admiring eye Thy burnished, flaming Arch did first descry! When Terah, Nahor, Haran, Abram, Lot, The youthful world's gray fathers in one knot, Did with intentive looks watch every hour For thy new light, and trembled at each shower! When thou dost shine darkness looks white and fair, Storms turn to music, clouds to smiles and air: Rain gently spends his honey-drops, and pours Balm on the cleft earth, milk on grass and flowers. Bright pledge of peace and sunshine! the sure tie Of thy Lord's hand, the object of his eye. When I behold thee, though my light be dim, Distant and low, I can in thine see him, Who looks upon thee from his glorious throne And minds the Covenant 'twixt All and One. O foul, deceitful men! my God doth keep His promise still, but we break ours and sleep. After the Fall, the first sin was in blood, And drunkenness quickly did succeed the flood; But since Christ died (as if we did devise To lose him too, as well as Paradise) These two grand sins we join and act together, Though blood and drunkenness make but foul, foul weather. Water (though both Heaven's windows and the deep, Full forty days o'er the drowned world did weep) Could not reform us, and blood (in despite) Yea God's own blood we tread upon and slight. So those bad daughters, which God saved from fire, While Sodom yet did smoke, lay with their sire. Then peaceful, signal bow, but in a cloud Still lodged, where all thy unseen arrows shroud, I will on thee, as on a comet look, A comet, the sad world's ill-boding book; Thy light as luctual and stained with woes I'll judge, where penal flames sit mixed and close. For though some think, thou shin'st but to restrain Bold storms, and simply dost attend on rain, Yet I know well, and so our sins require, Thou dost but court cold rain, till rain turns fire. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TIE-DOWN OF A BONSAI by MARVIN BELL THE RAINBOW [IN THE SKY] by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH ON A RAINBOW AT NIGHT by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD TO THE RAINBOW by THOMAS CAMPBELL GREEK SPRING; MARCH, ATHENS, 1913 by RHYS CARPENTER THE GREAT ADVENTURE by PATRICK REGINALD CHALMERS THE RAINBOW by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES |
|