Religion

Book I, 9: Of Light and Heate

by Francis Quarles 1592–1644

From Divine Fancies (1633), Book I

Religion

Mark but the Sun-beames, when they shine most bright,
They ld this lower world both heat & light:
They both are Children of the selfe-same Mother,
Twinnes; not subsisig one without the other;
They both conspire unto the Common good,
When, in their proper places, understood:
Is't not rebellion against Sense to say,
Light helps to quicken: Or, the Beames of day
May lend a Heat, and ye no Light at all?
'Tis true, some obvious Shade may chance to fall
Vpon the quickned Plnt, yet not so great,
To quench the of the Heate:
The Heate cannot be parted from the Light,
Nor yet the Light from Heate; They neither might
Be mingled in the Act, nor found asunder:
Distinguish now fond man; or stay and wonder: Know then;
Their vertues differ though themselves agree;
Heat vivifies; Light gives man power to see
The thing so vivifyed: no Light, no Heate;
And where the heat's but small, the light's not great:
They are inseparable, and sworne Lovers,
Yet differing thus; That quickens; This discovers:
Within these lines a sacred Myst'ry lurkes:
The Heat resembles Faith: the Light; Good workes.

MLA

Quarles, Francis. “Book I, 9: Of Light and Heate.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/quarles/9/.

Chicago

Quarles, Francis. “Book I, 9: Of Light and Heate.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/quarles/9/.

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