A Song. Go Tell Amynta, Gentle Swain

John Dryden 1631 (Aldwincle) – 1631 (London)



1.
Go tell Amynta, gentle swain,
I would not die, nor dare complain.
Thy tuneful voice with numbers join,
Thy voice will more prevail than mine;
For souls opprest and dumb with grief,
The gods ordain'd this kind relief.
That music should in sounds convey
What dying lovers dare not say.

2.
A sigh or tear perhaps she'll give,
But love on pity cannot live:
Tell her that hearts for hearts were made,
And love with love is only paid,
Tell her my pains so fast increase
That soon it will be past redress;
For the wretch that speechless lies,
Attends but death to close his eyes.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

33 sec read
110

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBXXCCDD AXXEEXXFF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 566
Words 109
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 9, 9

John Dryden

John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. more…

All John Dryden poems | John Dryden Books

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    "A Song. Go Tell Amynta, Gentle Swain" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/22639/a-song.-go-tell-amynta,-gentle-swain>.

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