Love
Sonnet (How should'st thou Love, and not offend)
From Poems on Several Occasions (1689)
How should'st thou Love, and not offend!
Why, Chloris, I will tell thee how:
AS thou did'st once, so Love me now,
And lye with me, and there's an end.
Thou only art enjoyn'd (my Sweet)
To keep thy Reputation high,
And that indeed, is secrecy,
[…] all do err, thou all not see't.
Then fairest Fearless of all blame,
That sacred Treasure of thy Name
Into my faithful Arms commit.
Thou once did'st trust me, with thy fame,
I then was just, and true to it;
And, Chloris, I am still the same.
Cite this poem
MLA
Cotton, Charles. “Sonnet (How should'st thou Love, and not offend).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/cotton/177/.
Chicago
Cotton, Charles. “Sonnet (How should'st thou Love, and not offend).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/cotton/177/.
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