Dignissimo Suo Amico Doctori Wittie. De Translatione Vulgi poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Nempe sic innumero succrescunt agmine libri, Saepia vix toto ut jam natet una mari. Fortius assidui surgunt a vulnere praeli: Quoque magis pressa est, auctior Hydra redit. Heu quibus Anticyris, quibus est sanabilis herbis Improba scribendi pestis, avarus amor! India sola tenet tanti medicamina morbi, Dicitur & nostris ingemuisse malis. Utile Tabacci dedit illa […]

Edmundi Trotii Epitaphium poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Charissimo Filio Edmundo Trotio Posuimus Pater & Mater Frustra superstites. Legite Parentes, vanissimus hominum ordo, Figuli Filiorum, Substructores Hominum, Fartores Opum, Longi Speratores, Et nostro, si fas, sapite infortunio. Fruit Edmundus Trottuis. E quatuor masculae stirpis residuus, Statura justa, Forma virili, specie eximic, Medio juventutis Robore simul & Flore, Alpectu, In cessu, sermone juxta […]

Daphnis And Chloe poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Daphnis must from Chloe part: Now is come the dismal Hour That must all his Hopes devour, All his Labour, all his Art. Nature, her own Sexes foe, Long had taught her to be coy: But she neither knew t’ enjoy, Nor yet let her Lover go. But, with this sad News surpriz’d, […]

Damon The Mower poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Heark how the Mower Damon Sung, With love of Juliana stung! While ev’ry thing did seem to paint The Scene more fit for his complaint. Like her fair Eyes the day was fair; But scorching like his am’rous Care. Sharp like his Sythe his Sorrow was, And wither’d like his Hopes the Grass. Oh […]

Cromwell’s Return poem – Andrew Marvell poems

An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell’s Return From Ireland The forward youth that would appear Must now forsake his muses dear, Nor in the shadows sing, His numbers languishing. ‘Tis time to leave the books in dust, And oil the unus?d armour’s rust: Removing from the wall The corslet of the hall. So restless Cromwell […]

Clorinda And Damon poem – Andrew Marvell poems

C. Damon come drive thy flocks this way. D. No : ’tis too late they went astray. C. I have a grassy Scutcheon spy’d, Where Flora blazons all her pride. The grass I aim to feast thy Sheep : The Flow’rs I for thy Temples keep. D. Grass withers; and the Flow’rs […]

Bermudas poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Where the remote Bermudas ride In th’ Oceans bosome unespy’d, From a small Boat, that row’d along, The listning Winds receiv’d this Song. What should we do but sing his Praise That led us through the watry Maze, Unto an Isle so long unknown, And yet far kinder than our own? Where he the […]

Blake’s Victory poem – Andrew Marvell poems

On the Victory Obtained by Blake over the Spaniards in the Bay of Santa Cruz, in the Island of Tenerife, 1657 Now does Spain’s fleet her spacious wings unfold, Leaves the New World and hastens for the old: But though the wind was fair, they slowly swum Freighted with acted guilt, and guilt to […]

An Epitaph poem – Andrew Marvell poems

ENOUGH; and leave the rest to Fame! ‘Tis to commend her, but to name. Courtship which, living, she declined, When dead, to offer were unkind: Nor can the truest wit, or friend, Without detracting, her commend. To say–she lived a virgin chaste In this age loose and all unlaced; Nor was, when vice is […]

Ametas And Thestylis Making Hay-Ropes poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Ametas Think’st Thou that this Love can stand, Whilst Thou still dost say me nay? Love unpaid does soon disband: Love binds Love as Hay binds Hay. Thestylis Think’st Thou that this Rope would twine If we both should turn one way? Where both parties so combine, Neither Love will twist nor Hay. […]

A Poem Upon The Death Of O.C. poem – Andrew Marvell poems

That Providence which had so long the care Of Cromwell’s head, and numbred ev’ry hair, Now in its self (the Glass where all appears) Had seen the period of his golden Years: And thenceforth onely did attend to trace, What death might least so sair a Life deface. The People, which what most they […]

A Letter To Doctor Ingelo, then With My Lord Whitlock, Amba poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Quid facis Arctoi charissime transfuga coeli, Ingele, proh sero cognite, rapte cito? Num satis Hybernum defendis pellibus Astrum, Qui modo tam mollis nec bene firmus eras? Quae Gentes Hominum, quae sit Natura Locorum, Sint Homines, potius dic ibi sintre Loca? Num gravis horrisono Polus obruit omnia lapsu, Jungitur & praeceps Mundas utraque nive? An […]

A Garden, Written after the Civil Wars poem – Andrew Marvell poems

SEE how the flowers, as at parade, Under their colours stand display’d: Each regiment in order grows, That of the tulip, pink, and rose. But when the vigilant patrol Of stars walks round about the pole, Their leaves, that to the stalks are curl’d, Seem to their staves the ensigns furl’d. Then in some […]

A Dialogue Between Thyrsis And Dorinda poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Dorinda When Death, shall snatch us from these Kids, And shut up our divided Lids, Tell me Thyrsis, prethee do, Whither thou and I must go. Thyrsis To the Elizium: (Dorinda) oh where i’st? Thyrsis A Chast Soul, can never mis’t. Dorinda I know no way, but one, our home Is our […]

A Dialogue Between The Soul And Body poem – Andrew Marvell poems

Soul O Who shall, from this Dungeon, raise A Soul inslav’d so many wayes? With bolts of Bones, that fetter’d stands In Feet ; and manacled in Hands. Here blinded with an Eye ; and there Deaf with the drumming of an Ear. A Soul hung up, as ’twere, in Chains Of Nerves, and […]

Villonaud for This Yule poem – Ezra Pound poems

Towards the Noel that morte saison (Christ make the shepherds’ homage dear!) Then when the grey wolves everychone Drink of the winds their chill small-beer And lap o’ the snows food’s gueredon Then makyth my heart his yule-tide cheer (Skoal! with the dregs if the clear be gone!) Wineing the ghosts of yester-year. Ask […]

Villanelle: The Psychological Hour poem – Ezra Pound poems

I had over prepared the event, that much was ominous. With middle-ageing care I had laid out just the right books. I had almost turned down the pages. Beauty is so rare a thing. So few drink of my fountain. So much barren regret, So many hours wasted! And now I watch, from the […]

These Fought in Any Case poem – Ezra Pound poems

These fought in any case, and some believing pro domo, in any case ….. Died some, pro patria, walked eye-deep in hell believing in old men’s lies, then unbelieving came home, home to a lie, home to many deceits, home to old lies and new infamy; usury age-old and age-thick and liars in public […]

The Tree poem – Ezra Pound poems

I stood still and was a tree amid the wood, Knowing the truth of things unseen before; Of Daphne and the laurel bow And that god-feasting couple old that grew elm-oak amid the wold. ‘Twas not until the gods had been Kindly entreated, and been brought within Unto the hearth of their heart’s home […]

The Summons poem – Ezra Pound poems

I can not bow to woo thee With honey words and flower kisses And the dew of sweet half-truths Fallen on the grass of old quaint love-tales Of broidered days foredone. Nor in the murmurous twilight May I sit below thee, Worshiping in whispers Tremulous as far-heard bells. All these things have I known […]

The Seeing Eye poem – Ezra Pound poems

The small dogs look at the big dogs; They observe unwieldy dimensions And curious imperfections of odor. Here is the formal male group: The young men look upon their seniors, They consider the elderly mind And observe its inexplicable correlations. Said Tsin-Tsu: It is only in small dogs and the young That we find […]

The Seafarer poem – Ezra Pound poems

(From the early Anglo-Saxon text) May I for my own self song’s truth reckon, Journey’s jargon, how I in harsh days Hardship endured oft. Bitter breast-cares have I abided, Known on my keel many a care’s hold, And dire sea-surge, and there I oft spent Narrow nightwatch nigh the ship’s head While she tossed […]

The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter poem – Ezra Pound poems

After Li Po While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead I played at the front gate, pulling flowers. You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse, You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums. And we went on living in the village of Chokan: Two small people, without dislike or […]

The Return poem – Ezra Pound poems

See, they return; ah, see the tentative Movements, and the slow feet, The trouble in the pace and the uncertain Wavering! See, they return, one, and by one, With fear, as half-awakened; As if the snow should hesitate And murmur in the wind, and half turn back; These were the “Wing’d-with-Awe,” Inviolable. Gods of […]

The Plunge poem – Ezra Pound poems

I would bathe myself in strangeness: These comforts heaped upon me, smother me! I burn, I scald so for the new, New friends, new faces, Places! Oh to be out of this, This that is all I wanted – save the new. And you, Love, you the much, the more desired! Do I not […]

The Needle poem – Ezra Pound poems

Come, or the stellar tide will slip away. Eastward avoid the hour of its decline, Now! for the needle trembles in my soul! Here we have had our vantage, the good hour. Here we have had our day, your day and mine. Come now, before this power That bears us up, shall turn against […]

The Lake Isle poem – Ezra Pound poems

O God, O Venus, O Mercury, patron of thieves, Give me in due time, I beseech you, a little tobacco-shop, With the little bright boxes piled up neatly upon the shelves And the loose fragment cavendish and the shag, And the bright Virginia loose under the bright glass cases, And a pair of scales […]

The Jewel Stairs’ Grievance poem – Ezra Pound poems

The jewelled steps are already quite white with dew, It is so late that the dew soaks my gauze stockings, And I let down the crystal curtain And watch the moon through the clear autumn.     *** Ezra Pound Poems by Ezra Pound […]

The Garret poem – Ezra Pound poems

Come, let us pity those who are better off than we are. Come, my friend, and remember that the rich have butlers and no friends, And we have friends and no butlers. Come, let us pity the married and the unmarried. Dawn enters with little feet like a gilded Pavlova And I am near […]

The Garden poem – Ezra Pound poems

En robe de parade. Samain Like a skien of loose silk blown against a wall She walks by the railing of a path in Kensington Gardens, And she is dying piece-meal of a sort of emotional anaemia. And round about there is a rabble Of the filthy, sturdy, unkillable infants of the very poor. […]

The Fault of It poem – Ezra Pound poems

Some may have blamed us that we cease to speak Of things we spoke of in our verses early, Saying: a lovely voice is such as such; Saying: that lady’s eyes were sad last week, Wherein the world’s whole joy is born and dies; Saying: she hath this way or that, this much Of […]

The Encounter poem – Ezra Pound poems

All the while they were talking the new morality Her eyes explored me. And when I rose to go Her fingers were like the tissue Of a Japanese paper napkin.     *** Ezra Pound Poems by Ezra Pound

The Bath-Tub poem – Ezra Pound poems

As a bathtub lined with white porcelain, When the hot water gives out or goes tepid, So is the slow cooling of our chivalrous passion, O my much praised but-not-altogether-satisfactory lady.     *** Ezra Pound Poems by Ezra Pound

Tame Cat poem – Ezra Pound poems

It rests me to be among beautiful women Why should one always lie about such matters? I repeat: It rests me to converse with beautiful women Even though we talk nothing but nonsense, The purring of the invisible antennae Is both stimulating and delightful.     *** Ezra Pound […]

Taking Leave of a Friend poem – Ezra Pound poems

Blue mountains to the north of the walls, White river winding about them; Here we must make separation And go out through a thousand miles of dead grass. Mind like a floating wide cloud, Sunset like the parting of old acquaintances Who bow over their clasped hands at a distance. Our horses neigh to […]

Sub Mare poem – Ezra Pound poems

It is, and is not, I am sane enough, Since you have come this place has hovered round me, This fabrication built of autumn roses, Then there’s a goldish colour, different. And one gropes in these things as delicate Algæ reach up and out, beneath Pale slow green surgings of the underwave, ‘Mid these […]