Stanzas - To the Memory of an agreeable Lady, buried in marriage to a Person undeserving her

William Shenstone 1714 (Halesowen) – 1763 (Halesowen)



'Twas always held, and ever will,
By sage mankind, discreeter
To anticipate a lesser ill
Than undergo a greater.

When mortals dread disease, pain,
And languishing conditions,
Who don't the lesser ills sustain
Of physic-and physicians?

Rather than lose his whole estate,
He that but little wise is,
Full gladly pays four parts in eight,
To taxes and excises.

Our merchants Spain has near undone,
For lost ships not requiting;
This bears our noble King to shun
The loss of blood-in fighting!

With numerous ills, in single life,
The bachelor's attended;
Such to avoid, he takes a wife-
And much the case is mended!

Poor Gratia, in her twentieth year,
Foreseeing future woe,
Chose to attend a monkey here,
Before an ape below.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

38 sec read
41

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IXIX BJBJ
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 707
Words 125
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

William Shenstone

William Shenstone was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, The Leasowes. more…

All William Shenstone poems | William Shenstone Books

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    "Stanzas - To the Memory of an agreeable Lady, buried in marriage to a Person undeserving her" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/41600/stanzas---to-the-memory-of-an-agreeable-lady,-buried-in-marriage-to-a-person-undeserving-her>.

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