Confined Love

John Donne 1572 (London) – 1631 (London)



Some man unworthy to be possessor
Of old or new love, himself being false or weak,
Thought his pain and shame would be lesser
If on womankind he might his anger wreak,
And thence a law did grow,
One might but one man know;
But are other creatures so?

Are Sun, Moon, or Stars by law forbidden
To smile where they list, or lend away their light?
Are birds divorced, or are they chidden
If they leave their mate, or lie abroad a-night?
Beasts do no jointures lose
Though they new lovers choose,
But we are made worse than those.

Who e'er rigged fair ship to lie in harbours
And not to seek new lands, or not to deal withal?
Or built fair houses, set trees, and arbors,
Only to lock up, or else to let them fall?
Good is not good unless
A thousand it possess,
But dost waste with greediness.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

46 sec read
153

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCCC DEDEFFX FGFGHHF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 775
Words 154
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 7

John Donne

John Donne was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. more…

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