Love

Chloris: Sonnet 22

by William Smith fl. 1596

From Elizabethan Sonnet-Cycles, ed. M. F. Crow (1897)

Love

O fairest fair, to thee I make my plaint,
(my plaint)
To thee from whom my cause of grief doth spring;
(doth spring)
Attentive be unto the groans, sweet saint,
(sweet saint)
Which unto thee in doleful tunes I sing.
(I sing)
My mournful muse doth always speak of thee;
(of thee)
My love is pure, O do it not disdain!
(disdain)
With bitter sorrow still oppress not me,
(not me)
But mildly look upon me which complain.
(which complain)
Kill not my true-affecting thoughts, but give
(but give)
Such precious balm of comfort to my heart,
(my heart)
That casting off despair in hope to live,
(hope to live)
I may find help at length to ease my smart.
(to ease my smart)
So shall you add such courage to my love,
(my love)
That fortune false my faith shall not remove.
(shall not remove)

MLA

Smith, William. “Chloris: Sonnet 22.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/smith_william/24/.

Chicago

Smith, William. “Chloris: Sonnet 22.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/smith_william/24/.

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