Classic and Contemporary Poetry
NEVER TOO LATE: THE PENITENT PALMER'S ODE, by ROBERT GREENE Poet's Biography First Line: Whilom in the winter's rage Last Line: "man is sin, and flesh is grass!'" Subject(s): Love - Complaints; Man-woman Relationships; Regret; Sin; Youth; Male-female Relations | ||||||||
WHILOM in the winter's rage, A palmer old and full of age Sat and thought upon his youth, With eyes' tears and heart's ruth; Being all with cares y-blent, When he thought on years mispent. When his follies came to mind, How fond love had made him blind, And wrapt him in a field of woes, Shadowèd with pleasure's shows, Then he sigh'd, and said, "Alas, Man is sin, and flesh is grass! I thought my mistress' hairs were gold, And in their locks my heart I fold; Her amber tresses were the sight That wrappèd me in vain delight: Her ivory front, her pretty chin Were stales that drew me on to sin: Her starry looks, her crystal eyes, Brighter than the sun's arise, Sparkling pleasing flames of fire, Yok'd my thoughts and my desire, That I gan cry, ere I blin, 'O, her eyes are paths to sin!' Her face was fair, her breath was sweet, All her looks for love were meet; But love is folly, this I know, And beauty fadeth like to snow. O, why should man delight in pride, Whose blossom like a dew doth glide! When these supposes touch'd my thought, That world was vain and beauty nought, I gan sigh, and say, 'Alas, Man is sin, and flesh is grass!'" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MISERY AND SPLENDOR by ROBERT HASS THE APPLE TREES AT OLEMA by ROBERT HASS DOUBLE SONNET by ANTHONY HECHT CONDITIONS XXI by ESSEX HEMPHILL CALIFORNIA SORROW: MOUNTAIN VIEW by MARY KINZIE SUPERBIA: A TRIUMPH WITH NO TRAIN by MARY KINZIE COUNSEL TO UNREASON by LEONIE ADAMS TWENTY QUESTIONS by DAVID LEHMAN A FAREWELL TO FOLLY: CONTENT by ROBERT GREENE |
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