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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO MY SOUL IN ITS BLINDNESS, by PHINEAS FLETCHER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: How is't, my soul, that thou giv'st eyes their sight Last Line: And dazels thy weak eyes; see with thine ears. Subject(s): Soul | |||
I. How is't, my soul, that thou giv'st eyes their sight To view their objects, yet hast none To see thine own? Earths, ayers, Heav'ns beauties they discern; their light Fair flowers admires; their several dresses, Their golden tresses; The Lilly, Rose, the various Tulip, scorning The pride of Princes in their choice adorning. II. They joy to view the ayers painted Nations; The Peacocks train, which th' head out vies With fairer eyes, And emulats the heav'nly constellations; The Ostrich, whose fair plume embraves Kings, Captains, Slaves; The Halcions, whose Triton-bills appease Curl'd waves, and with their Eggs lay stormy seas. III. Pilots fixt eyes observe the Artick Bear, With all her unwasht Starry trains In Heav'nly plains. Night-Travellers behold the Moon to steer Her Ship, sailing (while Eol raves) Through cloudy waves: Our less Worlds sunns with pleasure view the light Which gives all beauties beauty, them their sight. IV. Thou that giv'st sight to clay, to blackness light How art so dull, so dimm in duty To view his beauty, Who quickens every life, lights every light? His height those Eagles eyes surpasses; Thou wants thy glasses: Take up that Perspective, and view those streams Of light, and fill thy waning Orb with beams. V. Then see the flowers clad in his Liveries, And from his cheek, and lovely face Steal all their grace. See Fouls from him borrow their braveries, And all their feather-painted dresses From his fair tresses: See Starrs, and Moon, the Sun, and all perfection Beg light, and life from his bright eyes reflection. VI. Look on his lipps; heav'ns gate there open lies: Thence that grace-breathing Spirit blows, Thence honey flowes. Look on his hands, the Worlds full treasuries; Fix all thy looks his heart upon, Loves highest Throne. And when thy sight that radiant beauty blears, And dazels thy weak eyes; see with thine ears. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CRUEL FALCON by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE WHOLE SOUL by PHILIP LEVINE I KNOW MY SOUL by CLAUDE MCKAY HONORING THE SAND; IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH CAMPBELL by ROBERT BLY THE CHINESE PEAKS; FOR DONALD HALL by ROBERT BLY THE LIFE OF TOWNS: TOWN OF THE EXHUMATION by ANNE CARSON A REPLY UPON THE FAIR M.S. by PHINEAS FLETCHER ELISA, OR AN ELEGY UPON THE UNRIPE DECEASE OF SIR ANTHONY IRBY, SELECTION by PHINEAS FLETCHER |
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