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!
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I love Dr. Faustus and pretty much anything by Marlowe... and Marlowe, himself. *sigh* I love Marlowe's allusions, period.
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Very clear understanding how he said heaven is in this kiss
very clearly simple yet deep write -
I don't think its stupid to go to war for love. People do stupid things in the pursuit of love. Though using brute force to win over a woman is quite barbaric, given the circumstances, Paris had to start a war, you can't whisk away a woman without their husband getting mad.
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i love this poem (and not just because my name is helen also). the references to greek myth and immortality are classic characteristics of romanticism and i believe marlowe to be a great inspiration to all who adore poetry.
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Can anyone help me explicate this poem cause i'm having a hard time doing it so any help will be apreciated just e-mail it to me
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sweet muse
If you were but the paper
I was but the pen
I would write upon you every god of love
Again and again and again
Until you scream, until you shout
Or until my ink runs out
David -
sweet muse
If you were but the paper
I I was but the pen
I would write upon you every god of love
Again and again and again
Until you scream, until you shout
Or until my ink runs out
David -
Yeah, but If I was Marlowe I could write like that too.
Hmm... I hate to say it, much as I love this poem, but the first thing I think of is parody when I read the first line...
"Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?
Really? Well, I mean shes pretty but come on!
A thousand?! Thats a bit showy!"
anyways, It is a classic and I wont make chris roll around in his grave too much for the sake of my enjoyment.
One thing it does is inspire me to read more... my poetry is entirely to devoid of literary allusion. -
I'm a big fan of this piece, the way he moves so quickly between comparisons for his love. In one breath he's emphasising the importance of love to his soul, and in the next he's drawing on famous epic legends of love and how it sent entire nations into war.
The kind of love poem no one writes anymore. -
eh
as well as it is written, I can't applaud it. How very romantic to show love by starting a war. To push harm on another and be rewarded with the love of a beautiful woman. To me this man is weak and is more obsessed than in love. -
not only is this a stunningly beutiful poem, it has classical references galore (YAY!)
i particularly loved:
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.
it may just be me, but i thought that the most powerful line in this poem was "And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?" i don't know why, the image stuck very strongly in my mind -
I love this poem. I'm a fan of the Odysess (I spelled that wrong) and if I had thought abotu sooner I would wrote about that in the xcact same way
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willing to go to war for a woman...now that is guts.
I have taken quests not quite as bold just to hold one dear to me near to me.....
so I dare say I can see how love could drive a man to do such things.
WSD -
seriuosly, as i recall, this was part of Marlowes play "Doctor Faustus" , where Mephistophes was showing Faust all the things he lusted after. and Faust, stuck by such beauty, would destroy all he had to have her.
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Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
The tenderness with which he uses his words takes my breath away. I love the idea that the kiss can fill him with the power of war. The violence makes their love seem all the more precious in the end. -
A classic piece and one that shows the power of the simple things in love.
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The poem shows the language at its best. Marlowe does a superb job with this poem. Great poem.
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Ah! Paris! The ladie's man! Gather 'round girls! Watch out Wittenberg!
No, really, I love this. It is a selection from Dr. Faustus, and is a darling witty section. It is among my favorite quotes.
Was this the face....? I'm gonna memorize this one so I can recite the whole thingie!
Let's give a cheer for Paris who shall sack Menelaus (in reality, Paris was socked :S )
But he will always return.......for a kiss!
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