Love

Sonnet XIII: That He Cannot Leave to Love, though Commanded

by Walter Davison born 1581; living 1602

From A Poetical Rhapsody (1602), ed. A. H. Bullen (1890–91)

Love

How can my love in equity be blamed,
Still to importune, though it ne'er obtain,
Since though her face and voice will me refrain,
Yet by her voice and face I am inflamed?
For when, alas! her face with frowns is framed,
To kill my love, but to revive my pain;
And when her voice commands, but all in vain,
That love both leave to be, and to be named:
Her siren voice doth such enchantment move,
And though she frown, ev'n frowns so lovely make her,
That I of force am forced still to love.
Since then I must, and yet cannot forsake her,
My fruitless prayers shall cease in vain to move her;
But my devoted heart ne'er cease to love her.

✦ ✦ ✦

In the Rhapsody (ii. 1-20) among the poems Bullen gives to Walter Davison.

MLA

Davison, Walter. “Sonnet XIII: That He Cannot Leave to Love, though Commanded.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/davison_w/16/.

Chicago

Davison, Walter. “Sonnet XIII: That He Cannot Leave to Love, though Commanded.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/davison_w/16/.

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