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George Herbert (1593-1633)

Love (III)


              1Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
              2      Guilty of dust and sin.
              3But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
              4      From my first entrance in,
              5Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
              6      If I lack'd anything.

              7"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
              8      Love said, "You shall be he."
              9"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
            10      I cannot look on thee."
            11Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
            12      "Who made the eyes but I?"

            13"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
            14      Go where it doth deserve."
            15"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
            16      "My dear, then I will serve."
            17"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
            18      So I did sit and eat.

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: George Herbert, The temple. Sacred poems and private ejaculations, edited by N. Ferrar (Cambridge: T. Buck and R. Daniel, 1633). STC 13183. Facs. edn. Menston: Scolar Press, 1968. PR 3507 T45 1633A. Also The Bodleian Manuscript of George Herbert's Poems: A Facsimile of Tanner 307, Introduced by Amy M. Charles and Mario A. Di Cesare. Delmar: Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, 1984. PR 3507 T45 1984 ROBA.
First publication date: 1633
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 3RP 1.217.
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/13

Rhyme: ababcc

Other poems by George Herbert

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