(26 February 1564 - 30 May 1593 / Canterbury, England)

poet Christopher Marlowe
#253 on top 500 poets
Previous Month August 2013 Next Month
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su
29 30 31 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 1
Poem of the Day
Select a day from the calendar.
Would you like to see the poem of the day in your e-mail box every morning?
Your email address:
  Subscribe FREE
  Unsubscribe
What do you think this poem is about?

The face that launch'd a thousand ships

Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack'd;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colours on my plumed crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
O, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear'd to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms;
And none but thou shalt be my paramour!

Submitted: Friday, January 03, 2003
Edited: Thursday, May 05, 2011


Read poems about / on: paris, kiss, beauty, heaven, sky, star, wind

Comments about this poem (The face that launch'd a thousand ships by Christopher Marlowe )

Enter the verification code :

  • Ross Mackay (8/26/2012 6:29:00 AM)

    Two people have got this wrong so I'll say it. It isn't Paris talking, it's Faustus. This is an extract from the play 'Doctor Faustus', one of the most famous plays of the Elizabethan era which wasn't written by Shakespeare.

    2 person liked.
    		0 person did not like.
  • Shahzia Batool (8/26/2012 2:56:00 AM)

    Much celebrated apostrophe to the gorgeous Helen! Ramesh T A has rightly remarked about the great Marlowe. At a critical moment he makes mephistophilis conjure the spirit of Helen for Faustus' pleasure(in order to dissuade him from repentance) ...the spell is so much powerful that even in the approaching snares of death, his sensuality reaches its heights.The paragon of beauty is the only remedy available for his anguished soul.thank u PH for sharing this piece... :)

    0 person liked.
    		0 person did not like.
  • Ramesh T A (8/26/2011 3:47:00 AM)

    Beautifully written wonderful poem in support of love by great Christopher Marlowe! It is a classic immortal for all to read and enjoy till the end of time! Long live Paris and Helen in literature to enlighten the readers about the value of love, beauty and truth in the world all have to cherish for the upliftment of humanity forever!

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
  • Jessel Jane Tevar (8/26/2006 9:49:00 PM)

    Very wonderful... Well-penned piece.Nice imagery and I like the choice of words.

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
  • Amber Smith (8/26/2006 3:48:00 AM)

    The story of helen of troy....wow i like it alot.. this is also my favorite story about the iiresitable helen and her lover paris! ! This poem really captures the essance of how helen was so irresitable!

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
Read all 5 comments »

PoemHunter.com Updates

Top 500 Poems

  1. Phenomenal Woman
    Maya Angelou
  2. The Road Not Taken
    Robert Frost
  3. Still I Rise
    Maya Angelou
  4. If You Forget Me
    Pablo Neruda
  5. Dreams
    Langston Hughes
  6. Annabel Lee
    Edgar Allan Poe
  7. If
    Rudyard Kipling
  8. A Dream Within A Dream
    Edgar Allan Poe
  9. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
    Robert Frost
  10. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
    Maya Angelou
The Complete List of Top 500 Poems »
[Hata Bildir]