Upon A Looking Glass

John Bunyan 1628 (Elstow, Bedfordshire) – 1688 (London)



In this see thou thy beauty, hast thou any,
Or thy defects, should they be few or many.
Thou may'st, too, here thy spots and freckles see,
Hast thou but eyes, and what their numbers be.
But art thou blind? There is no looking-glass
Can show thee thy defects, thy spots, or face.

Comparison.

Unto this glass we may compare the Word,
For that to man advantage doth afford
(Has he a mind to know himself and state),
To see what will be his eternal fate.
But without eyes, alas! how can he see?
Many that seem to look here, blind men be.
This is the reason they so often read
Their judgment there, and do it nothing dread.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
94

Quick analysis:

Scheme AAAAXX XXBBAACC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 612
Words 121
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 8

John Bunyan

John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, who is well known for his book The Pilgrim's Progress. more…

All John Bunyan poems | John Bunyan Books

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