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A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 8, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: It fell on a summer's day
Last Line: She sleeps every afternoon.
Subject(s): Sleep


IT fell on a summer's day,
While sweet Bessie sleeping lay,
In her bower, on her bed,
Light with curtains shadowed,
Jamy came: she him spies,
Opening half her heavy eyes.

Jamy stole in through the door,
She lay slumb'ring as before;
Softly to her he drew near,
She heard him, yet would not hear:
Bessie vowed not to speak,
He resolved that dump to break.

First a soft kiss he doth take,
She lay still and would not wake;
Then his hands learned to woo,
She dreamt not what he would do,
But still slept, while he smiled
To see love by sleep beguiled.

Jamy then began to play,
Bessie as one buried lay,
Gladly still through this sleight
Deceived in her own deceit;
And since this trance begun,
She sleeps every afternoon.





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