Religion

A Feast for Wormes: Pious Meditation 2

by Francis Quarles 1592–1644

From Divine Poems (1633), A Feast for Wormes

Religion

IN hell no Life, in heaven no Death there is,
In earth both Life and Death, both Bale and Blis
In Heaven's all Life, no end, nor new supplying;
In hell's all Death, and yet there is no dying;
Earth (like a partiall Ambidexter) doth
Prepare for Death, or Life, prepares for both;
Who lives to sinne, in Hell his portion's given,
Who dyes to sinne, shall after live in Heaven.
Though Earth my Nurse be, Heaven, bee thou my Father,
Ten thousand deaths let me endure rather
Within my Nurses armes, then One to Thee;
Earths honour with thy frownes is death to mee:
I live on Earth, as on a Stage of sorrow;
Lord, if thou pleasest, end the Play to morrow:
I live on Earth, as in a Dreame of pleasure,
Awake me when thou wilt, I wait thy leisure:
I live on Earth, but as of life bereaven,
My life's with thee, for (Lord) thou art in Heaven.

MLA

Quarles, Francis. “A Feast for Wormes: Pious Meditation 2.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/quarles/452/.

Chicago

Quarles, Francis. “A Feast for Wormes: Pious Meditation 2.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/quarles/452/.

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