Monday, February 27, 2006

Poetry Monday

This Mondays's poem is a sequel to last Monday's: "The Passionate Shepard to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe. Today's is by Raleigh and it is "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd". I love it. The nymph tears the shepherd's pastoral romantic posturing to roving!

The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd

- Sir Walter Ralegh (1554?-1618)

If all the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee and be thy Love.

But Time drives flocks from field to fold;
When rivers rage and rocks grow cold;
And Philomel becometh dumb;
The rest complains of cares to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward Winter reckoning yields:
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.

Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, they kirtle, and thy posies,
Soon break, soon wither - soon forgotten,
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.

Thy belt of straw and ivy-buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,-
All these in me no means can move
To come to thee and be thy Love.

But could youth last, and love still breed,
Had joys no date, nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
to live with thee and be thy Love.

I've been reading The Life of Pi and like it so far. I think I am going to knit Bamboozelle for my project.

9 comments:

Stephanie said...

Thanks for the poems. And I love the Holman Hunt painting as well. I've seen his works in London and they are stunning. Every drop of color on the canvas shines like a tiny jewel. He could have painted a pair of raggedy socks and made it look fascinating. I felt dazed when I left the museum - nothing compares to the Pre-Raphaelites!

Jenni said...
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Carrie K said...

I did know it! (See? Know it all tendencies, lol). I deliberately waited for your Poetry Monday to see. How's your Swamp Witch beast doing?

Jenni said...

Cool! I talk about this poem to my class all the time. It probably drives them crazy. The Swamp Beast is here to stay, looks like, and loves my chair!

Stephanie said...

Great choice for you Pi project too.

Stacie said...

I like the poem! I love Life of Pi, it's a great adventure, enjoy!

Sherrill said...

Ok...the nymph's reply was great...all of the promises will eventually fade as life and time take hold. Thanks for sharing the two parts.

Great project pick for Life of Pi. Will check back more often to see what you are up to.

Paula said...

I love that poem! Thank you for posting it. Great project pick for Pi. I haven't decided what to knit for it yet.

Olga said...

Hi, Jenni! Visiting over from Sew I Knit...these poems never fail to remind me of Ogden Nash's version, Love Among the Republicans (or Democrats). I love that one!