Love

Allegory of His Love to a Ship

by Thomas Watson c. 1555–1592

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

Love

The soldier worn with wars, delights in peace,
The pilgrim in his ease, when toils are past;
The ship to gain the port, when storms do cease;
And I rejoice discharged from Love at last,
Whom while I served, peace, rest, and land I lost,
With wars, with toils, with storms, worn, tired and tost.

Sweet liberty now gives me leave to sing,
What world it was, where Love the rule did bear;
How foolish chance by lots ruled ev'ry thing,
How error was main sail, each wave a tear,
The master Love himself, deep sighs were wind,
Cares rowed with vows, the ship a pensive mind.

False hope the helm, oft turned the ship about,
Inconstant faith stood up for middle mast;
Despair the cable, twisted all with doubt,
Held griping grief the piked anchor fast:
Beauty was all the rocks, but I at last,
Have gained the port, and now my love is past.

✦ ✦ ✦

One of the ten sonnets by "T. W." (Thomas Watson) that the Rhapsody prints, drawn from his Hekatompathia; they were not in the first edition (1602).

MLA

Watson, Thomas. “Allegory of His Love to a Ship.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/watson_t16/13/.

Chicago

Watson, Thomas. “Allegory of His Love to a Ship.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/watson_t16/13/.

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