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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
ESTREINES; TO CALISTA, by CHARLES COTTON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: I reckon the first day I saw those eyes Last Line: And you'll take care, I hope, it shall be due. Subject(s): Love | |||
I I RECKON the first day I saw those eyes, Which in a moment made my heart their prize To all my whole futurity, The first day of my first New Year, Since then I first began to be, And knew why Heav'n plac'd me here; For till we love, and love discreetly too, We nothing are, nor know we what we do. II Love is the soul of life, though that I know Is call'd soul too, but yet it is not so, Not rational at least, until Beauty with her diviner light Illuminates the groping will, And shows us how to choose aright; And that's first prov'd by th' objects it refuses, And by being constant then to that it chooses. III Days, weeks, months, years, and lustres take So small time up i' th' lover's almanack, And can so little love assuage, That we (in truth) can hardly say, When we have liv'd at least an age, A long one, we have lov'd a day. This day to me, so slowly does time move, Seems but the noon unto my morning love. IV Love by swift Time, which sickly passions dread, Is no more measur'd than 'tis limited: That passion where all others cease, And with the fuel lose the flame, Is evermore in its increase, And yet being love, is still the same: They err call liking love, true lovers know He never lov'd who does not always so. V You who my last love have, my first love had, To whom my all of love was, and is paid, Are only worthy to receive The richest New-Year's gift I have; My love, which I this morning give, A nobler never Monarch gave, Which each New Year I will present anew, And you'll take care, I hope, it shall be due. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE INVENTION OF LOVE by MATTHEA HARVEY TWO VIEWS OF BUSON by ROBERT HASS A LOVE FOR FOUR VOICES: HOMAGE TO FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN by ANTHONY HECHT AN OFFERING FOR PATRICIA by ANTHONY HECHT LATE AFTERNOON: THE ONSLAUGHT OF LOVE by ANTHONY HECHT A SWEETENING ALL AROUND ME AS IT FALLS by JANE HIRSHFIELD AN EPITAPH ON M.H. by CHARLES COTTON LAURA SLEEPING; ODE by CHARLES COTTON RESOLUTION OF A POETICAL QUESTION CONCERNING FOUR RURAL SISTERS: 2 by CHARLES COTTON |
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