My prime of youth is but a frost of cares,
My feast of joy is but a dish of pain,
My crop of corn is but a field of tares,
And all my good is but vain hope of gain.
The day is gone and I yet I saw no sun,
And now I live, and now my life is done.
The spring is past, and yet it hath not sprung,
The fruit is dead, and yet the leaves are green,
My youth is gone, and yet I am but young,
I saw the world, and yet I was not seen,
My thread is cut, and yet it was not spun,
And now I live, and now my life is done.
I sought my death and found it in my womb,
I lookt for life and saw it was a shade,
I trode the earth and knew it was my tomb,
And now I die, and now I am but made.
The glass is full, and now the glass is run,
And now I live, and now my life is done.
Notes
Composition Date:
1586
Form:
ababcc
3.tares: weeds
7. \
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
-
I enjoy reading these reflective-type poems. The moral is: live life. Line 10 is something to think about--so many people fear discovering what is around them; all they know is their immediate environment. The world is meant to be explored! If travel is difficult, at least have fun on the Internet or be an "armchair" traveler and watch some documentaries/travel shows. There are other messages in this poem that bear being mindful of. For example, line 17 is one many of us have heard: "The glass is full, and now the glass is run", as in half full or half empty.
-
Adding your comment: