Death & Dying

Silence.

by Henry King 1592–1669

Death & Dying

PEace my hearts blab, be ever dumb,
Sorrowes speak loud without a tongue:
And my perplexed thoughts forbear
To breath your selves in any ear:
Tis scarce a true or manly grief
Which gaddes abroad to find rel…ef.

Was ever stomack that lackt meat
Nourisht by what another eat?
Can I bestow it, or will woe
Forsake me when I bid it goe?
Then Ile believe a wounded breast
May heal by shrift, and purchase rest.

But if imparting it I do
Not ease my self, but trouble two,
'Tis better I alone possess
My treasure of unhappiness:
Engrossing that which is my own
No longer then it is unknown.

If silence be a kind of death,
He kindles grief who gives it breath;
But let it rak't in embers lye,
On thine own hearth 'twill quickly dye;
And spight of fate, that very wombe
Which carries it, shall prove its tombe.

MLA

King, Henry. “Silence.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/king/15/.

Chicago

King, Henry. “Silence.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/king/15/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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