A Contemplation upon Flowers
Henry King 1592 (Worminghall, Buckinghamshire) – 1669 (Chichester)
BRAVE flowers--that I could gallant it like you,
And be as little vain!
You come abroad, and make a harmless show,
And to your beds of earth again.
You are not proud: you know your birth:
For your embroider'd garments are from earth.
You do obey your months and times, but I
Would have it ever Spring:
My fate would know no Winter, never die,
Nor think of such a thing.
O that I could my bed of earth but view
And smile, and look as cheerfully as you!
O teach me to see Death and not to fear,
But rather to take truce!
How often have I seen you at a bier,
And there look fresh and spruce!
You fragrant flowers! then teach me, that my breath
Like yours may sweeten and perfume my death.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 19, 2023
- 41 sec read
- 136 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AXXXBB CDCDAA XEXEFF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 706 |
Words | 138 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6 |
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"A Contemplation upon Flowers" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/17621/a-contemplation-upon-flowers>.
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