Sunday, September 11, 2005

the passionate shepherd to his love - christopher marlowe sonnet 1598

come live with me and be my love
and we will all the pleasures prove
that valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
woods or steepy mountain yields.

and we will sit upon the rocks
seeing the shepherds feed their flocks
by shallow rivers to whose falls
melodious birds sing madrigals.

and i will make thee beds of roses
and a thousand fragrant posies
a cap of flowers, and a kirtle
embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

a gown made of the finest wool
which from our pretty lambs we pull
fair lined slippers for the cold
with buckles of the purest gold;

a belt of straw and ivy buds
with coral clasps and amber studs
and if these pleasures may thee move
come live with me, and be my love.

the shepherd's swains shall dance and sing
for thy delight each May morning
if these delights thy mind may move
come live with me and be my love.

8 comments:

Cape Man said...

bootiful.

Aleks - Anarcho-Syndicalist said...

I thought you didn't read poetry?

Melba said...

aleks, i think i said i don't really like poetry, and usually don't read it because there is so much bad poetry out there. i like beautiful poetry which is old i guess. like this one. it took me to a quiet place, and i liked that. there is very little good poetry that is not pretentious. and i don't like wallowing, depressive, victim poetry. those emotions are much better in prose.

Aleks - Anarcho-Syndicalist said...

You did actually say that you don't really read poetry, but that is arguing over semantics.

I actually (surprise, surprise) don''t really like this sort of poetry; it strikes me as being written by a school-girl; too frivolous.

I do like (again, suprise, surprise) what you would describe as wallowing, depressive, victim poetry. Maybe it is a cultural thing, but for Poles poetry is the main form expressive, emotive literature, not prose. To succinctly express and conjure up images of despair, anguish and sorrow takes a real talent (in my mind).

Melba said...

ok then, i don't really read poetry but it doesn't mean that i haven't done in the past. and this is one of the ones i like. and i'm not surprised you don't like it, as it is happy and light and positive.

each to their own. plus i am a girl, so i like nice things. you are a boy, so you like voilent and depressing things. that's how it works, isn't it?

[my tongue is in my cheek here in case you can't see]

Melba said...

and you know that voilent really means rageful etc

Aleks - Anarcho-Syndicalist said...

Wow, you implied that I have visited brothels/stripclubs in Bangkok AND that I am a thug all in the one day. To what do I owe this great honour?

Melba said...

aleks, i wasn't really attacking you. you are still one of my faves, it's just hard when i am feeling down and then you start in with your blackness. and the bangkok brothel thing was my stupidity - i can run with pack like anyone else. usually i defend you, but it didn't in that exchange because it does piss me off when you go on someone else's blog and pontificate.

but on the other hand, i do admire you. i admire you for your strength of character and obvious integrity and your commitment to your causes, and i am saying this without any sarcasm. i really mean it. my new post has a poem which makes me think of you. i love it. hope you do too.