Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
To Anthea, who may Command him Anything
1Bid me to live, and I will live
3Or bid me love, and I will give
4 A loving heart to thee.
5A heart as soft, a heart as kind,
6 A heart as sound and free,
7As in the whole world thou canst find,
8 That heart I'll give to thee.
9Bid that heart stay, and it will stay,
10 To honour thy decree;
11Or bid it languish quite away,
12 And 't shall do so for thee.
13Bid me to weep, and I will weep,
14 While I have eyes to see;
15And having none, yet I will keep
16 A heart to weep for thee.
17Bid me despair, and I'll despair,
18 Under that cypress tree;
19Or bid me die, and I will dare
20 E'en death, to die for thee.
21Thou art my life, my love, my heart,
22 The very eyes of me;
23And hast command of every part,
24 To live and die for thee.
Notes
2] protestant: one who protests devotion, suitor.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Robert Herrick, Hesperides (London: for John Williams and F. Eglesfield to be sold by Thomas Hunt, 1648), of which a section called "His Noble Numbers: or, his Pious Pieces" has a separate title-page dated 1647. Facs. edn. Menston: Scolar, 1969. PR 3512 H4 1648A ROBA
First publication date:
1648
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 3RP 1.201.
Recent editing: 4:2002/2/6
Form: Common Measure
Rhyme: abab
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