The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty

The Frailty and Hurtfulness of Beauty

Original Text
Songes and Sonettes (London: Tottel, 1557). Facs. edn. (Leeds: Scolar, 1966). PR 1205 T6 1966 Victoria College Library
1Brittle beauty, that nature made so frail,
2Whereof the gift is small, and short the season;
3Flow'ring today, tomorrow apt to fail,
4Tickle treasure, abhorrèd of reason;
5Dangerous to deal with, vain, of none avail,
6Costly in keeping, past not worth two peason;
7Slipper in sliding, as is an eelës tail,
8Hard to obtain, once gotten, not geason;
9Jewel of jeopardy that peril doth assail,
10False and untrue, enticèd oft to treason,
11Enemy to youth; that most may I bewail.
12Ah, bitter sweet, infecting as the poison,
13    Thou farest as fruit that with the frost is taken,
14    Today ready ripe, tomorrow all to-shaken.

Notes

1] Tottel prints as Surrey's poem but it is assigned to Lord Vaux in British Library Add. MS. 28635. Back to Line
4] Tickle: delicate. Back to Line
6] peason: peas. A later spelling of the Middle English plural pesen. Back to Line
8] geason: rare. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1557
RPO poem Editors
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition
2RP 1.86.
Rhyme
ababababababcc
Form
sonnet