John Donne Quotes

For I am every dead thing, In whom love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness He ruined me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death; things which are not.

The world's whole sap is sunk: The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interred; yet all these seem to laugh, Compared with me, who am their epitaph.

Send home my long strayed eyes to me, Which (Oh) too long have dwelt on thee.

Let us love nobly, and live, and add again Years and years unto years, till we attain To write threescore: this is the second of our reign.

All Kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honors, beauties, wits The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass, Is elder by a year, now, than it was When thou and I first one another saw: All other things, to their destruction draw, Only our love hath no decay; This, no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday, Running, it never runs from us away, But truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day.

'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be? O wilt thou therefore rise from me? Why should we rise, because 'tis light? Did we lie down, because 'twas night? Love which in spite of darkness brought us hither Should in despite of light keep us together.

Twice and thrice had I loved thee, Before I knew thy face or name.

Oh do not die, for I shall hate All women so, when thou art gone.

When I died last, and dear, I die As often as from thee I go.

But think that we Are but turned aside to sleep.

Yesternight the sun went hence, And yet is here today.

Sweetest love, I do not go, For weariness of thee, Nor in hope the world can show A fitter love for me; But since that I Must die at last, 'tis best, To use my self in jest Thus by feigned deaths to die.

Who are a little wise, the best fools be.

I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry.

As well a well-wrought urn becomes The greatest ashes, as half-acre tombs.