by Homer
Death strike me with his dart!
Phillada flouts me.
Thou shalt eat crudded cream
All the year lasting, 50
And drink the crystal stream
Pleasant in tasting;
Whig and whey whilst thou lust,
And bramble-berries,
Pie-lid and pastry-crust, 55
Pears, plums, and cherries.
Thy raiment shall be thin,
Made of a weevil’s skin —
Yet all’s not worth a pin!
Phillada flouts me. 60
In the last month of May
I made her posies;
I heard her often say
That she loved roses.
Cowslips and gillyflowers 65
And the white lily
I brought to deck the bowers
For my sweet Philly.
But she did all disdain,
And threw them back again; 70
Therefore ’tis flat and plain
Phillada flouts me.
Fair maiden, have a care,
And in time take me;
I can have those as fair 75
If you forsake me:
For Doll the dairy-maid
Laugh’d at me lately,
And wanton Winifred
Favours me greatly. 80
One throws milk on my clothes,
T’other plays with my nose;
What wanting signs are those?
Phillada flouts me.
I cannot work nor sleep 85
At all in season:
Love wounds my heart so deep
Without all reason.
I ‘gin to pine away
In my love’s shadow. 90
Like as a fat beast may,
Penn’d in a meadow.
I shall be dead, I fear,
Within this thousand year:
And all for that my dear 95
Phillada flouts me.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Restoration and Eighteenth Century Poets
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Earl of Rochester
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Epitaph on Charles II
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
HERE lies our Sovereign Lord the King,
Whose word no man relies on,
Who never said a foolish thing,
Nor ever did a wise one.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Disabled Debauchee
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
As some brave Admiral, in former War
Depriv’d of force, yet prest with courage still,
Two Rival Fleets appearing from a far,
Crawls to the top of an Adjacent Hill,
From whence, with thoughts full of concern, he views 5
The wise and daring conduct of the Fight,
While each bold action to his mind renews
His present glory and his past delight;
From his fierce eyes flashes of Rage he throws,
As from black Clouds when Lightning breaks away, 10
Transported, thinks himself amidst his Foes,
And absent, yet enjoys the bloudy Day:
So, when my days of Impotence approach,
And I’m by Pox and Wine’s unhappy chance
Forc’d from the pleasing Billows of Debauch 15
On the Dull Shores of lazy Temperance;
My pains at least some respite shall afford
While I behold the Battels you maintain,
When Fleets of Glasses Sail about the Board,
From whose broadsides Volleys of Wit shall Rain. 20
Nor shall the sight of honorable Scars,
Which my too forward valor did procure,
Frighten new-listed Soldiers from the Wars;
Past joyes have more than pay’d what I endure.
Should hopeful youths, worth being drunk, prove nice, 25
And from their fair Inviters meanly shrink;
‘Twill please the Ghost of my departed Vice
If, at my counsel, they repent, and Drink.
Or should some cold complexion’d Sot,
With his Dull Morals, your bold Night-Alarms; 30
I’ll fire his bloud, by telling what I did
When I was strong, and able to bear Arms.
I’ll tell of Whores attack’d, their Lords at home;
Bauds Quarters beaten up, and Fortress won
Windows demolish’d, Watches overcome; 35
And handsome ills, by my contrivance, done.
Nor shall our Love-fits Cloris be forgot,
When each the well-look’d Linkboy strove t’enjoy;
And the best Kiss was the deciding Lot,
Whether the Boy Fuck’d you, or I the Boy. 40
With Tales like these, I will such thoughts inspire
As to important mischief shall incline;
I’ll make him long some Ancient Church to fire,
And fear no lewdness he’s call’d to by Wine.
Thus, Statesman-like, I’ll sawcily Impose, 45
And, safe from Action, valiantly Advise;
Shelter’d in impotence, urge you to blows:
And now, being good for nothing else, be Wise.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Imperfect Enjoyment
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
Naked she lay clasp’d in my longing Armes
I fill’d with Love and she all over Charmes
Both equally inspir’d with eager fire
Melting through kindness flameing in desire.
With Armes, Leggs, Lipps, close clinging to embrace 5
She clipps me to her Breasts and sucks me to her face.
Her nimble tongue (loves lesser lightning) plaied
Within my Mouth; and to my heart conveyd
Swift Orders, that I might prepare to throw
The all dissolving Thunderbolt beloe. 10
My fluttering soul, sprung with the pointed Kiss
Hangs hovering o’re her balmy brinks of bliss
But whilst her buisy hand would guide that part
Which shou’d convey my soul up to her heart
In liquid raptures I dissolve all o’re 15
Melt into sperm and spend at every pore.
A touch from any part of her had don’t
Her hand, her foot, her very look’s a Cunt.
Smileing she chides in a kind, murmring noise
And from her body wipes the clamy Joyes 20
When with a Thousand kisses wandring o’re
My panting bossome; is there then no more?
She cries; all this to Love, and Raptures due
Must we not pay a Debt to pleasure, too?
But I the most forlorn lost man alive 25
To shew my wish’d obedience vainly strive
I sigh alas! and Kiss, but cannot sw — ve swive, copulate
Eager desires Confound the first intent 30
Succeeding shame does more success prevent
And Rage at last Confirms me Impotent.
Even her fair hand which might bid heat return
To frozen Age; and make cold Hermitts burn
Apply’de to my Dead Cinder warms no more
Then fire to ashes could past flames Restore.
Trembling Confus’d Dispairing, limber, 35
A wishing weak, unmoving lump I ly.
This Dart of Love whose peircing point oft Try’de
With Virgin blood Ten Thowsand Mayds have dy’de
Which Nature still Directed with such Art
That it through every Cunt reach’t every heart 40
Stiffly Resolv’d t’wo
uld Carelesly invade
Woman, nor Man, nor ought its fury stayd
Where ere it pierc’d a Cunt it found or made
Now languid lies in this unhappy hour
Shrunk up and sappless like a wither’d flower. 45
Thou Treacherous base Deserter of my Flame
False to my passion fatall to my Fame
Through what mistaken Magick doest thou prove
So true to Lewdness, so untrue to Love?
What Oyster, Cynder, Beggar, Common whore 50
Did’st thou ere fayle in all thy life before?
When Vice, Disease, and scandall lead the way
With what officious hast doest thou obey
Like a rude Roareing Hector in the streets
Who scuffles Cuffs and Justles all he meets 55
But if his King or Countrey claime his Ayde
The Rakehell villain shrinks and hides his head.
Even so thy brutall vallour is display’d,
Break’st every stew, doest each smale whore invade,
But when great Love the onsett does Command 60
Base Recreant to thy Prince thou durst not stand.
Worst part of me and henceforth hated most,
Through all the Town a Common Fucking Post,
On whom each Whore Relieves her tingling Cunt
As Hoggs on Gates doe rubb themselves and grunt, 65
Mayest thou to Ravenous Shankers be a prey
Or in Consumeing weepings wast away
May strangury and stone thy daies attend 70
Mayest thou nere piss who didst Refuse to spend
When all my Joyes did on false Thee depend.
And may Ten Thousand abler Pricks agree
To doe the wrong’d Corinna Right for Thee.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
To His Mistress
Earl of Rochester (1647–1680)
Why dost thou shade thy lovely face? O why
Does that eclipsing hand of thine deny
The sunshine of the Sun’s enlivening eye?
Without thy light what light remains in me?
Thou art my life; my way, my light’s in thee;
I live, I move, and by thy beams I see.
Thou art my life-if thou but turn away
My life’s a thousand deaths. Thou art my way-
Without.thee, Love, I travel not but stray.
My light thou art-without thy glorious sight
My eyes are darken’d with eternal night.
My Love, thou art my way, my life, my light.
Thou art my way; I wander if thou fly.
Thou art my light; if hid, how blind am I!
Thou art my life; if thou withdraw’st, I die.
My eyes are dark and blind, I cannot see:
To whom or whither should my darkness flee,
But to that light?-and who’s that light but thee?
If I have lost my path, dear lover, say,
Shall I still wander in a doubtful way?
Love, shall a lamb of Israel’s sheepfold stray?
My path is lost, my wandering steps do stray;
I cannot go, nor can I safely stay;
Whom should I seek but thee, my path, my way?
And yet thou turn’st thy face away and fly’st me!
And yet I sue for grace and thou deny’st me!
Speak, art thou angry, Love, or only try’st me?
Thou art the pilgrim’s path, the blind man’s eye,
The dead man’s life. On thee my hopes rely:
If I but them remove, I surely die.
Dissolve thy sunbeams, close thy wings and stay!
See, see how I am blind, and dead, and stray!
-O thou art my life, my light, my way!
Then work thy will! If passion bid me flee,
My reason shall obey, my wings shall be
Stretch’d out no farther than from me to thee!
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Sir Charles Sedley
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Chloris
Sir Charles Sedley (1639–1701)
AH, Chloris! could I now but sit
As unconcern’d as when
Your infant beauty could beget
No happiness or pain!
When I the dawn used to admire, 5
And praised the coming day,
I little thought the rising fire
Would take my rest away.
Your charms in harmless childhood lay
Like metals in a mine; 10
Age from no face takes more away
Than youth conceal’d in thine.
But as your charms insensibly
To their perfection prest,
So love as unperceived did fly, 15
And centre’d in my breast.
My passion with your beauty grew,
While Cupid at my heart
Still as his mother favour’d you
Threw a new flaming dart: 20
Each gloried in their wanton part;
To make a lover, he
Employ’d the utmost of his art —
To make a beauty, she.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Celia
Sir Charles Sedley (1639–1701)
NOT, Celia, that I juster am
Or better than the rest;
For I would change each hour, like them,
Were not my heart at rest.
But I am tied to very thee 5
By every thought I have;
Thy face I only care to see,
Thy heart I only crave.
All that in woman is adored
In thy dear self I find — 10
For the whole sex can but afford
The handsome and the kind.
Why then should I seek further store,
And still make love anew?
When change itself can give no more, 15
’Tis easy to be true.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
John Dryden
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Ode To the Pious Memory of the accomplished young lady, Mrs. Anne Killigrew, excellent in the two sister arts of Poesy and Painting
John Dryden (1639–1701)
THOU youngest virgin-daughter of the skies,
Made in the last promotion of the blest;
Whose palms, new pluck’d from Paradise,
In spreading branches more sublimely rise,
Rich with immortal green above the rest: 5
Whether, adopted to some neighbouring star,
Thou roll’st above us, in thy wandering race,
Or, in procession fix’d and regular,
Moved with the heaven’s majestic pace;
Or, call’d to more superior bliss, 10
Thou tread’st with seraphims the vast abyss:
Whatever happy region be thy place,
Cease thy celestial song a little space;
Thou wilt have time enough for hymns divine,
Since Heaven’s eternal year is thine. 15
Hear, then, a mortal Muse thy praise rehearse,
In no ignoble verse;
But such as thy own voice did practise here,
When thy first-fruits of Poesy were given,
To make thyself a welcome inmate there; 20
While yet a young probationer,
And candidate of heaven.
If by traduction came thy mind,
Our wonder is the less, to find
A soul so charming from a stock so good; 25
Thy father was transfused into thy blood:
So wert thou born into a tuneful stra
in,
An early, rich, and inexhausted vein.
But if thy pre-existing soul
Was form’d at first with myriads more, 30
It did through all the mighty poets roll
Who Greek or Latin laurels wore,
And was that Sappho last, which once it was before.
If so, then cease thy flight, O heaven-born mind!
Thou hast no dross to purge from thy rich ore: 35
Nor can thy soul a fairer mansion find,
Than was the beauteous frame she left behind:
Return, to fill or mend the quire of thy celestial kind.
May we presume to say, that, at thy birth,
New joy was sprung in heaven as well as here on earth? 40
For sure the milder planets did combine
On thy auspicious horoscope to shine,
And even the most malicious were in trine.
Thy brother-angels at thy birth
Strung each his lyre, and tuned it high, 45
That all the people of the sky
Might know a poetess was born on earth;
And then, if ever, mortal ears
Had heard the music of the spheres.
And if no clustering swarm of bees 50
On thy sweet mouth distill’d their golden dew,
’Twas that such vulgar miraclès
Heaven had not leisure to renew:
For all the blest fraternity of love
Solemnized there thy birth, and kept thy holiday above. 55
O gracious God! how far have we
Profaned thy heavenly gift of Poesy!
Made prostitute and profligate the Muse,
