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Anniversary Poems

<h3>An Anatomy of the World.</h3> <h3>By THE POEMS OF JOHN DONNE</h3> By occasion of the untimely death of Mistris  Elizabeth Drvry, the frailty and the decay of this whole World is represented. The first Anniversary. <div class="poem width27"> <div class="stanza"> The entrie into the worke. WHEN that rich Soule which to her heaven is gone, Whom all do celebrate, who know they have one, (For who is sure he hath a Soule, unlesse It see, and judge, and follow worthinesse,   5And by Deedes praise it? hee who doth not this, May lodge an In-mate soule, but 'tis not his.) When that Queene ended here her progresse time, And, as t'her standing house to heaven did climbe, Where loath to make the Saints attend her long, 10She's now a part both of the Quire, and Song, This World, in that great earthquake languished; For in a common bath of teares it bled, Which drew the strongest vitall spirits out: But succour'd then with a perplexed doubt, 15Whether the world did lose, or gaine in this, (Because since now no other way there is, [page 232] </div> <div class="stanza"> But goodnesse, to see her, whom all would see, All must endeavour to be good as shee,) This great consumption to a fever turn'd, 20And so the world had fits; it joy'd, it mourn'd; And, as men thinke, that Agues physick are, And th'Ague being spent, give over care, So thou sicke World, mistak'st thy selfe to bee Well, when alas, thou'rt in a Lethargie. 25Her death did wound and tame thee than, and than Thou might'st have better spar'd the Sunne, or Man. That wound was deep, but 'tis more misery, That thou hast lost thy sense and memory. 'Twas heavy then to heare thy voyce of mone, 30But this is worse, that thou art speechlesse growne. Thou hast forgot thy name, thou hadst; thou wast Nothing but shee, and her thou hast o'rpast. For as a child kept from the Font, untill A prince, expected long, come to fulfill 35The ceremonies, thou unnam'd had'st laid, Had not her comming, thee her Palace made: Her name defin'd thee, gave thee forme, and frame, And thou forgett'st to celebrate thy name. Some moneths she hath beene dead (but being dead, 40Measures of times are all determined) But long she'ath beene away, long, long, yet none Offers to tell us who it is that's gone. But as in states doubtfull of future heires, When sicknesse without remedie empaires 45The present Prince, they're loth it should be said, The Prince doth languish, or the Prince is dead: So mankinde feeling now a generall thaw, A strong example gone, equall to law, The Cyment which did faithfully compact, 50And glue all vertues, now resolv'd, and slack'd, [page 233] Thought it some blasphemy to say sh'was dead, Or that our weaknesse was discovered In that confession; therefore spoke no more Then tongues, the Soule being gone, the losse deplore. 55But though it be too late to succour thee, Sicke World, yea, dead, yea putrified, since shee Thy'intrinsique balme, and thy preservative, Can never be renew'd, thou never live, I (since no man can make thee live) will try, 60What wee may gaine by thy Anatomy. Her death hath taught us dearely, that thou art Corrupt and mortall in thy purest part. Let no man say, the world it selfe being dead, 'Tis labour lost to have discovered 65The worlds infirmities, since there is none Alive to study this dissection; What life the world hath stil. For there's a kinde of World remaining still, Though shee which did inanimate and fill The world, be gone, yet in this last long night, 70Her Ghost doth walke; that is, a glimmering light, A faint weake love of vertue, and of good, Reflects from her, on them which understood Her worth; and though she have shut in all day, The twilight of her memory doth stay; 75Which, from the carcasse of the old world, free, Creates a new world, and new creatures bee Produc'd: the matter and the stuffe of this, Her vertue, and the forme our practice is: And though to be thus elemented, arme 80These creatures, from home-borne intrinsique harme, (For all assum'd unto this dignitie, So many weedlesse Paradises bee, Which of themselves produce no venemous sinne, Except some forraine Serpent bring it in) [page 234] 85Yet, because outward stormes the strongest breake, And strength it selfe by confidence growes weake, This new world may be safer, being told The sicknesses of the World. The dangers and diseases of the old: For with due temper men doe then forgoe, 90Or covet things, when they their true worth know. Impossibility of health. There is no health; Physitians say that wee, At best, enjoy but a neutralitie. And can there bee worse sicknesse, then to know That we are never well, nor can be so? 95Wee are borne ruinous: poore mothers cry, That children come not right, nor orderly; Except they headlong come and fall upon An ominous precipitation. How witty's ruine! how importunate 100Upon mankinde! it labour'd to frustrate Even Gods purpose; and made woman, sent For mans reliefe, cause of his languishment. They were to good ends, and they are so still, But accessory, and principall in ill; 105For that first marriage was our funerall: One woman at one blow, then kill'd us all, And singly, one by one, they kill us now. We doe delightfully our selves allow To that consumption; and profusely blinde, 110Wee kill our selves to propagate our kinde. And yet we do not that; we are not men: There is not now that mankinde, which was then, When as, the Sunne and man did seeme to strive, Shortnesse of life. (Joynt tenants of the world) who should survive; 115When, Stagge, and Raven, and the long-liv'd tree, Compar'd with man, dy'd in minoritie; [page 235] When, if a slow pac'd starre had stolne away From the observers marking, he might stay Two or three hundred yeares to see't againe, 120And then make up his observation plaine; When, as the age was long, the sise was great; Mans growth confess'd, and recompenc'd the meat; So spacious and large, that every Soule Did a faire Kingdome, and large Realme controule: 125And when the very stature, thus erect, Did that soule a good way towards heaven direct. Where is this mankinde now? who lives to age, Fit to be made Methusalem his page? Alas, we scarce live long enough to try 130Whether a true made clocke run right, or lie. Old Grandsires talke of yesterday with sorrow, And for our children wee reserve to morrow. So short is life, that every peasant strives, In a torne house, or field, to have three lives. 135And as in lasting, so in length is man Smalnesse of stature. Contracted to an inch, who was a spanne; For had a man at first in forrests stray'd, Or shipwrack'd in the Sea, one would have laid A wager, that an Elephant, or Whale, 140That met him, would not hastily assaile A thing so equall to him: now alas, The Fairies, and the Pigmies well may passe As credible; mankinde decayes so soone, We'are scarce our Fathers shadowes cast at noone: 145Onely death addes t'our length: nor are wee growne In stature to be men, till we are none. But this were light, did our lesse volume hold All the old Text; or had wee chang'd to gold Their silver; or dispos'd into lesse glasse 150Spirits of vertue, which then scatter'd was. [page 236] But 'tis not so: w'are not retir'd, but dampt; And as our bodies, so our mindes are crampt: 'Tis shrinking, not close weaving that hath thus, In minde, and body both bedwarfed us. 155Wee seeme ambitious, Gods whole worke t'undoe; Of nothing hee made us, and we strive too, To bring our selves to nothing backe; and wee Doe what wee can, to do't so soone as hee. With new diseases on our selves we warre, 160And with new Physicke, a worse Engin farre. Thus man, this worlds Vice-Emperour, in whom All faculties, all graces are at home; And if in other creatures they appeare, They're but mans Ministers, and Legats there, 165To worke on their rebellions, and reduce Them to Civility, and to mans use: This man, whom God did wooe, and loth t'attend Till man came up, did downe to man descend, This man, so great, that all that is, is his, 170Oh what a trifle, and poore thing he is! If man were any thing, he's nothing now: Helpe, or at least some time to wast, allow T'his other wants, yet when he did depart With her whom we lament, hee lost his heart. 175She, of whom th'Ancients seem'd to prophesie, When they call'd vertues by the name of shee; Shee in whom vertue was so much refin'd, That for Allay unto so pure a minde Shee tooke the weaker Sex; shee that could drive 180The poysonous tincture, and the staine of Eve, Out of her thoughts, and deeds; and purifie All, by a true religious Alchymie; [page 237] Shee, shee is dead; shee's dead: when thou knowest this, Thou knowest how poore a trifling thing man is. 185And learn'st thus much by our Anatomie, The heart being perish'd, no part can be free. And that except thou feed (not banquet) on The supernaturall food, Religion, Thy better Growth growes withered, and scant; 190Be more then man, or thou'rt lesse then an Ant. Then, as mankinde, so is the worlds whole frame Quite out of joynt, almost created lame: For, before God had made up all the rest, Corruption entred, and deprav'd the best: 195It seis'd the Angels, and then first of all The world did in her cradle take a fall, And turn'd her braines, and tooke a generall maime, Wronging each joynt of th'universall frame. The noblest part, man, felt it first; and than 200Both beasts and plants, curst in the curse of man. Decay of nature in other parts. So did the world from the first houre decay, That evening was beginning of the day, And now the Springs and Sommers which we see, Like sonnes of women after fiftie bee. 205And new Philosophy calls all in doubt, The Element of fire is quite put out; The Sun is lost, and th'earth, and no mans wit Can well direct him where to looke for it. And freely men confesse that this world's spent, 210When in the Planets, and the Firmament They seeke so many new; they see that this Is crumbled out againe to his Atomies. 'Tis all in peeces, all cohaerence gone; All just supply, and all Relation: [page 238] 215Prince, Subject, Father, Sonne, are things forgot, For every man alone thinkes he hath got To be a Ph&oelig;nix, and that then can bee None of that kinde, of which he is, but hee. This is the worlds condition now, and now 220She that should all parts to reunion bow, She that had all Magnetique force alone, To draw, and fasten sundred parts in one; She whom wise nature had invented then When she observ'd that every sort of men 225Did in their voyage in this worlds Sea stray, And needed a new compasse for their way; She that was best, and first originall Of all faire copies, and the generall Steward to Fate; she whose rich eyes, and brest 230Guilt the West Indies, and perfum'd the East; Whose having breath'd in this world, did bestow Spice on those Iles, and bad them still smell so, And that rich Indie which doth gold interre, Is but as single money, coyn'd from her: 235She to whom this world must it selfe refer, As Suburbs, or the Microcosme of her, Shee, shee is dead; shee's dead: when thou knowst this, Thou knowst how lame a cripple this world is. And learn'st thus much by our Anatomy, 240That this worlds generall sickenesse doth not lie In any humour, or one certaine part; But as thou sawest it rotten at the heart, Thou seest a Hectique feaver hath got hold Of the whole substance, not to be contrould, 245And that thou hast but one way, not t'admit The worlds infection, to be none of it. For the worlds subtilst immateriall parts [page 239] Feele this consuming wound, and ages darts. For the worlds beauty is decai'd, or gone, Disformity of parts. 250Beauty, that's colour, and proportion. We thinke the heavens enjoy their Sphericall, Their round proportion embracing all. But yet their various and perplexed course, Observ'd in divers ages, doth enforce 255Men to finde out so many Eccentrique parts, Such divers downe-right lines, such overthwarts, As disproportion that pure forme: It teares The Firmament in eight and forty sheires, And in these Constellations then arise 260New starres, and old doe vanish from our eyes: As though heav'n suffered earthquakes, peace or war, When new Towers rise, and old demolish't are. They have impal'd within a Zodiake The free-borne Sun, and keepe twelve Signes awake 265To watch his steps; the Goat and Crab controule, And fright him backe, who else to either Pole (Did not these Tropiques fetter him) might runne: For his course is not round; nor can the Sunne Perfit a Circle, or maintaine his way 270One inch direct; but where he rose to-day He comes no more, but with a couzening line, Steales by that point, and so is Serpentine: And seeming weary with his reeling thus, He meanes to sleepe, being now falne nearer us. 275So, of the Starres which boast that they doe runne In Circle still, none ends where he begun. All their proportion's lame, it sinkes, it swels. For of Meridians, and Parallels, Man hath weav'd out a net, and this net throwne 280Upon the Heavens, and now they are his owne. Loth to goe up the hill, or labour thus To goe to heaven, we make heaven come to us. We spur, we reine the starres, and in their race [page 240] They're diversly content t'obey our pace. 285But keepes the earth her round proportion still? Doth not a Tenarif, or higher Hill Rise so high like a Rocke, that one might thinke The floating Moone would shipwracke there, and sinke? Seas are so deepe, that Whales being strooke to day, 290Perchance to morrow, scarse at middle way Of their wish'd journies end, the bottome, die. And men, to sound depths, so much line untie, As one might justly thinke, that there would rise At end thereof, one of th'Antipodies: 295If under all, a Vault infernall bee, (Which sure is spacious, except that we Invent another torment, that there must Millions into a straight hot roome be thrust) Then solidnesse, and roundnesse have no place. 300Are these but warts, and pock-holes in the face Of th'earth? Thinke so: but yet confesse, in this The worlds proportion disfigured is; Disorder in the world. That those two legges whereon it doth rely, Reward and punishment are bent awry. 305And, Oh, it can no more be questioned, That beauties best, proportion, is dead, Since even griefe it selfe, which now alone Is left us, is without proportion. Shee by whose lines proportion should bee 310Examin'd, measure of all Symmetree, Whom had that Ancient seen, who thought soules made Of Harmony, he would at next have said That Harmony was shee, and thence infer, That soules were but Resultances from her, 315And did from her into our bodies goe, [page 241] As to our eyes, the formes from objects flow: Shee, who if those great Doctors truly said That the Arke to mans proportions was made, Had been a type for that, as that might be 320A type of her in this, that contrary Both Elements, and Passions liv'd at peace In her, who caus'd all Civill war to cease. Shee, after whom, what forme so'er we see, Is discord, and rude incongruitie; 325Shee, shee is dead, shee's dead; when thou knowst this Thou knowst how ugly a monster this world is: And learn'st thus much by our Anatomie, That here is nothing to enamour thee: And that, not only faults in inward parts, 330Corruptions in our braines, or in our hearts, Poysoning the fountaines, whence our actions spring, Endanger us: but that if every thing Be not done fitly'and in proportion, To satisfie wise, and good lookers on, 335(Since most men be such as most thinke they bee) They're lothsome too, by this Deformitee. For good, and well, must in our actions meete; Wicked is not much worse than indiscreet. But beauties other second Element, 340Colour, and lustre now, is as neere spent. And had the world his just proportion, Were it a ring still, yet the stone is gone. As a compassionate Turcoyse which doth tell By looking pale, the wearer is not well, 345As gold falls sicke being stung with Mercury, All the worlds parts of such complexion bee. When nature was most busie, the first weeke, Swadling the new borne earth, God seem'd to like That she should sport her selfe sometimes, and play, [page 242] 350To mingle, and vary colours every day: And then, as though shee could not make inow, Himselfe his various Rainbow did allow. Sight is the noblest sense of any one, Yet sight hath only colour to feed on, 355And colour is decai'd: summers robe growes Duskie, and like an oft dyed garment showes. Our blushing red, which us'd in cheekes to spred, Is inward sunke, and only our soules are red. Perchance the world might have recovered, 360If she whom we lament had not beene dead: But shee, in whom all white, and red, and blew (Beauties ingredients) voluntary grew, As in an unvext Paradise; from whom Did all things verdure, and their lustre come, 365Whose composition was miraculous, Being all colour, all Diaphanous, (For Ayre, and Fire but thick grosse bodies were, And liveliest stones but drowsie, and pale to her,) Shee, shee, is dead; shee's dead: when thou know'st this, 370Thou knowst how wan a Ghost this our world is: And learn'st thus much by our Anatomie, That it should more affright, then pleasure thee. And that, since all faire colour then did sinke, 'Tis now but wicked vanitie, to thinke Weaknesse in the want of correspondence of heaven and earth. 375To colour vicious deeds with good pretence, Or with bought colors to illude mens sense. Nor in ought more this worlds decay appeares, Then that her influence the heav'n forbeares, Or that the Elements doe not feele this, 380The father, or the mother barren is. The cloudes conceive not raine, or doe not powre, In the due birth time, downe the balmy showre; [page 243] Th'Ayre doth not motherly sit on the earth, To hatch her seasons, and give all things birth; 385Spring-times were common cradles, but are tombes; And false-conceptions fill the generall wombes; Th'Ayre showes such Meteors, as none can see, Not only what they meane, but what they bee; Earth such new wormes, as would have troubled much 390Th'Ægyptian Mages to have made more such. What Artist now dares boast that he can bring Heaven hither, or constellate any thing, So as the influence of those starres may bee Imprison'd in an Hearbe, or Charme, or Tree, 395And doe by touch, all which those stars could doe? The art is lost, and correspondence too. For heaven gives little, and the earth takes lesse, And man least knowes their trade and purposes. If this commerce twixt heaven and earth were not 400Embarr'd, and all this traffique quite forgot, She, for whose losse we have lamented thus, Would worke more fully, and pow'rfully on us: Since herbes, and roots, by dying lose not all, But they, yea Ashes too, are medicinall, 405Death could not quench her vertue so, but that It would be (if not follow'd) wondred at: And all the world would be one dying Swan, To sing her funerall praise, and vanish than. But as some Serpents poyson hurteth not, 410Except it be from the live Serpent shot, So doth her vertue need her here, to fit That unto us; shee working more then it. But shee, in whom to such maturity Vertue was growne, past growth, that it must die; 415She, from whose influence all Impressions came, But, by Receivers impotencies, lame, [page 244] Who, though she could not transubstantiate All states to gold, yet guilded every state, So that some Princes have some temperance; 420Some Counsellers some purpose to advance The common profit; and some people have Some stay, no more then Kings should give, to crave; Some women have some taciturnity, Some nunneries some graines of chastitie. 425She that did thus much, and much more could doe, But that our age was Iron, and rustie too, Shee, shee is dead; shee's dead; when thou knowst this, Thou knowst how drie a Cinder this world is. And learn'st thus much by our Anatomy, 430That 'tis in vaine to dew, or mollifie It with thy teares, or sweat, or blood: nothing Is worth our travaile, griefe, or perishing, But those rich joyes, which did possesse her heart, Of which she's now partaker, and a part. Conclusion. 435But as in cutting up a man that's dead, The body will not last out, to have read On every part, and therefore men direct Their speech to parts, that are of most effect; So the worlds carcasse would not last, if I 440Were punctuall in this Anatomy; Nor smels it well to hearers, if one tell Them their disease, who faine would think they're well. Here therefore be the end: And, blessed maid, Of whom is meant what ever hath been said, 445Or shall be spoken well by any tongue, Whose name refines course lines, and makes prose song, Accept this tribute, and his first yeares rent, Who till his darke short tapers end be spent, As oft as thy feast sees this widowed earth, 450Will yearely celebrate thy second birth, That is, thy death; for though the soule of man Be got when man is made, 'tis borne but than [page 245] When man doth die; our body's as the wombe, And, as a Mid-wife, death directs it home. 455And you her creatures, whom she workes upon, And have your last, and best concoction From her example, and her vertue, if you In reverence to her, do thinke it due, That no one should her praises thus rehearse, 460As matter fit for Chronicle, not verse; Vouchsafe to call to minde that God did make A last, and lasting'st peece, a song. He spake To Moses to deliver unto all, That song, because hee knew they would let fall 465The Law, the Prophets, and the History, But keepe the song still in their memory: Such an opinion (in due measure) made Me this great Office boldly to invade: Nor could incomprehensiblenesse deterre 470Mee, from thus trying to emprison her, Which when I saw that a strict grave could doe, I saw not why verse might not do so too. Verse hath a middle nature: heaven keepes Soules, The Grave keepes bodies, Verse the Fame enroules. </div> </div> <hr class="short" /> <h3>A Funerall Elegie.</h3> <div class="poem width27"> <div class="stanza"> 'TIS lost, to trust a Tombe with such a guest, Or to confine her in a marble chest. Alas, what's Marble, Jeat, or Porphyrie, Priz'd with the Chrysolite of either eye,   5Or with those Pearles, and Rubies, which she was? Joyne the two Indies in one Tombe, 'tis glasse; And so is all to her materials, Though every inch were ten Escurials, [page 246] Yet she's demolish'd: can wee keepe her then 10In works of hands, or of the wits of men? Can these memorials, ragges of paper, give Life to that name, by which name they must live? Sickly, alas, short-liv'd, aborted bee Those carcasse verses, whose soule is not shee. 15And can shee, who no longer would be shee, Being such a Tabernacle, stoop to be In paper wrapt; or, when shee would not lie In such a house, dwell in an Elegie? But 'tis no matter; wee may well allow 20Verse to live so long as the world will now, For her death wounded it. The world containes Princes for armes, and Counsellors for braines, Lawyers for tongues, Divines for hearts, and more, The Rich for stomackes, and for backes, the Poore; 25The Officers for hands, Merchants for feet, By which, remote and distant Countries meet. But those fine spirits which do tune, and set This Organ, are those peeces which beget Wonder and love; and these were shee; and shee 30Being spent, the world must needs decrepit bee; For since death will proceed to triumph still, He can finde nothing, after her, to kill, Except the world it selfe, so great as shee. Thus brave and confident may Nature bee, 35Death cannot give her such another blow, Because shee cannot such another show. But must wee say she's dead? may't not be said That as a sundred clocke is peecemeale laid, Not to be lost, but by the makers hand 40Repollish'd, without errour then to stand, Or as the Affrique Niger streame enwombs [page 247] It selfe into the earth, and after comes (Having first made a naturall bridge, to passe For many leagues) farre greater then it was, 45May't not be said, that her grave shall restore Her, greater, purer, firmer, then before? Heaven may say this, and joy in't, but can wee Who live, and lacke her, here this vantage see? What is't to us, alas, if there have beene 50An Angell made a Throne, or Cherubin? Wee lose by't: and as aged men are glad Being tastlesse growne, to joy in joyes they had, So now the sick starv'd world must feed upon This joy, that we had her, who now is gone. 55Rejoyce then Nature, and this World, that you, Fearing the last fires hastning to subdue Your force and vigour, ere it were neere gone, Wisely bestow'd and laid it all on one. One, whose cleare body was so pure and thinne, 60Because it need disguise no thought within. 'Twas but a through-light scarfe, her minde t'inroule; Or exhalation breath'd out from her Soule. One, whom all men who durst no more, admir'd: And whom, who ere had worth enough, desir'd; 65As when a Temple's built, Saints emulate To which of them, it shall be consecrate. But, as when heaven lookes on us with new eyes, Those new starres every Artist exercise, What place they should assigne to them they doubt, 70Argue,'and agree not, till those starres goe out: So the world studied whose this peece should be, Till shee can be no bodies else, nor shee: But like a Lampe of Balsamum, desir'd Rather t'adorne, then last, she soone expir'd, 75Cloath'd in her virgin white integritie, [page 248] For marriage, though it doe not staine, doth dye. To scape th'infirmities which wait upon Woman, she went away, before sh'was one; And the worlds busie noyse to overcome, 80Tooke so much death, as serv'd for opium; For though she could not, nor could chuse to dye, She'ath yeelded to too long an extasie: Hee which not knowing her said History, Should come to reade the booke of destiny, 85How faire, and chast, humble, and high she'ad been, Much promis'd, much perform'd, at not fifteene, And measuring future things, by things before, Should turne the leafe to reade, and reade no more, Would thinke that either destiny mistooke, 90Or that some leaves were torne out of the booke. But 'tis not so; Fate did but usher her To yeares of reasons use, and then inferre Her destiny to her selfe, which liberty She tooke but for thus much, thus much to die. 95Her modestie not suffering her to bee Fellow-Commissioner with Destinie, She did no more but die; if after her Any shall live, which dare true good prefer, Every such person is her deligate, 100T'accomplish that which should have beene her Fate. They shall make up that Booke and shall have thanks Of Fate, and her, for filling up their blankes. For future vertuous deeds are Legacies, Which from the gift of her example rise; 105And 'tis in heav'n part of spirituall mirth, To see how well the good play her, on earth. </div> </div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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