Semichorus.
Oh Tyrant Love! hast thou possest
The prudent, learn'd, and virtuous breast?
Wisdom and wit in vain reclaim,
And Arts but soften us to feel thy flame.
Love, soft intruder, enters here,
But ent'ring learns to be sincere.
Marcus with blushes owns he loves,
And Brutus tenderly reproves.
Why, Virtue, dost thou blame desire,
Which Nature has imprest?
Why, Nature, dost thou soonest fire
The mild and gen'rous breast?
Chorus.
Love's purer flames the Gods approve;
The Gods and Brutus bent to love:
Brutus for absent Portia sighs,
And sterner Cassius melts at Junia's eyes.
What is loose love? a transient gust,
Spent in a sudden storm of lust,
A vapour fed from wild desire,
A wand'ring, self-consuming fire,
But Hymen's kinder flames unite;
And burn for ever one;
Chaste as cold Cynthia's virgin light,
Productive as the Sun.
Semichorus.
Oh source of ev'ry social tie,
United wish, and mutual joy!
What various joys on one attend,
As son, as father, brother husband, friend?
Whether his hoary sire he spies,
While thousand grateful thoughts arise;
Or meets his spouse's fonder eye;
Or views his smiling progeny;
What tender passions take their turns,
What home-felt raptures move?
His heart now melts, now leaps, now burns,
With rev'rence, hope, and love.
Chorus.
Hence guilty joys, distastes, surmises,
Hence false tears, deceits, disguises,
Dangers, doubts, delays, surprises;
Fires that scorch, yet dare not shine
Purest love's unwasting treasure,
Constant faith, fair hope, long leisure,
Days of ease, and nights of pleasure;
Sacred Hymen! these are thine.
What is loose love? a transient gust, Spent in a sudden storm of Iust, A vapour fed from wild desire, A wand'ring, self-consuming fire, ......wonderful// both choruses are beautiful to read
Desire! ! ! Virgin light! ! Aim, calm, claim, reclaim! Thoughts and surprises. 🤗 Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
Ay I can taste the Shakespearean english in this poem.JULIUS CAESAR play..herein lies a description of why youths and virgins cry wolf and engage in sexual fantasies and other vices as an excuse to efface their virtue. Love as envisaged in the first stanza is authoritarian and depicts what happened in the Elizabethan Era.whether desire leads to love or love is desire the hymen is at their mercy i.e tyrannized.
Lovely raunchy archaeic poem. Didnt know they were this naughty then.
a transient gust, Spent in a sudden storm of, A vapour fed from wild desire, unparalleled
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
" Wisdom and wit in vain reclaim, And Arts but soften us to feel thy flame..." Love makes beautiful art. Love dignifies art and art reflects love and wisdom. This poem is very interestingly and excellently penned. A nice poem of the day is chosen today.