love poetry

The principle of love must be implanted,
Or e'en divine love ne'er will take its root:
Small hope for those who're of this instinct scanted:
Small hope for those involved in low pursuit
Of interest or ambition! Who with brute,
And earthward gaze see nought beyond themselves:
But hope, ye mourners, who with anguish mute,
See each foundation, like a train of elves,
Vanish, which human skill unprofitably delves.

So far with tolerance th' instinct do I see
Which leads the spirit with devotion fond,
To seek in youth for perfect sympathy
In other human hearts, that few this bond
Who have not sought, few who have never conued
With weak idolatry, a human face,
And found how vain were human loves; beyond
Were ever led to go: triumphs of grace
Are oftenest gained by souls driven from love's earthly race.

SECTION I .

The most excellent Gifts nothing without Love.

Could I with men and angels vie
In language, without love,
Nought, but a sounding brass would I,
Or tinkling cymbal, prove.

Could I both preach and prophecy,
All myst'ries understand;
Have knowledge all ingross'd in me,
All gifts at my command:

Yea, had I faith that could remove

My love and I a bargain made,
It is well worth a-telling;
When one was weary we agreed
To part both should be willing.

And thus our loves will longer last
Than fools that still are pining;
We'll spend our time in joy and mirth,
Whilst doaters do in whining.

A MARILLIS told her swain,
Amarillis told her swain,
That in love he should be plain
And not think to deceive her. Chorus:
Still he protested on his truth
That he would never leave her.

If thou dost keep thy vow, quoth she,
And that thou ne'er dost leave me,
There's ne'er a swain in all the plain
That ever shall come near thee Chorus:
For garlands and embroidered scrips,
For I do love thee dearly.

Half way the hill, near to those aged trees,
Whose insides are as hives for lab'ring bees,
(As who should say, before their roots were dead,
For good work's sake and alms they harboured
Those whom nought else did cover but the skies:)
A path, untrodden but of beasts, there lies,
Directing to a cave in yonder glade,
Where all this forest's citizens for shade
At noon-time come, and are the first, I think,
That (running through that cave) my waters drink:
Within this rock there sits a woful wight,

1863

I HEARD the tramp, and I heard the song,
Soldiers marching, marching along.
" Glory, Glory!" I hear it yet.
My heart was hot and my cheeks were wet.
" What shall I do when I am grown,"
I said, " with children of my own?"
" If I have a son; and he has a son;
They shall do what these have done;
And I'll love them so, I'll love them so,
That I'll buckle their swords and bid them go."

Come , join hands and swear
By earth and sea and air,
As brothers, side by side;
Troth to the sacred band,
Troth to the sacred land
Their love has sanctified —
Love, inborn, inbred,
Giving, taking and giving —
The love of the dead to the living,
The love of the living to the dead.

Run to Love's lottery! Run, maids, and rejoice:
When, drawing your chance, you meet your own choice;
And boast that your luck you help with design,
By praying cross-legged to Old Bishop Valentine.
Hark, hark! a prize is drawn, and trumpets sound!
Tan, ta, ra, ra, ra!
Tan, ta, ra, ra, ra!

Hark, maids! more lots are drawn! prizes abound.
Dub! dub a, dub a, dub! the drum now beats!

AGAINST LOVERS GOING TO WAR, IN WHICH HE
PHILOSOPHICALLY PREFERS LOVE AND DELIA, TO THE
MORE SERIOUS VANITIES OF THE WORLD .

The man, who sharpen'd first the warlike steel,
How fell and deadly was his iron heart,
He gave the wound, encountring nations feel,
And death grew stronger, by his fatal art:

Yet not from steel, debate and battle rose,
'Tis gold o'erturns the even scale of life,
Nature is free to all, and none were foes,
Till partial luxury began the strife.