Metaphysical & Cavalier

Ben Jonson

1572-1637

Ben Jonson (1572-1637) was an English poet and playwright, the dominant literary figure of the Jacobean stage and a rival and friend of Shakespeare.

Beyond his comedies and tragedies, he wrote a substantial body of lyric and occasional verse, including epigrams and elegies collected here from a posthumous volume of his poems and prose "Discoveries."

Poems (321)

To William Camden
On my First Daughter
On my First Son
To Francis Beaumont
Of Life and Death
Inviting a Friend to Supper
Epitaph on the Countess of Pembroke
To Celia
The Triumph of Charis
Ode
The Turn
The Counter-Turn
The Stand
The Turn
The Counter-Turn
The Stand
The Turn
The Counter-Turn
The Stand
The Turn
The Counter-Turn
The Stand
Epode
An Elegy
Hymn to Diana
To Fine Grand
To Brainhardy
To Doctor Empiric
To Sir Annual Filter
On Banks, the Usurer
On Chevril the Lawyer
The Picture of the Body
On the Portrait of Shakspeare
Slow, Slow, Fresh Fount
The Kiss
The Glove
His Supposed Mistress
Love Is Blind, and a Wanton
Adde Merum!
The Banquet of Sense
O Fortunati!
Vivamus, Mea Lesbia
Epithalamion
Simplex Munditiis
The Witches' Sabbath
Buzz and Hum
Epilogue Spoken by Aurora
Spring All the Graces of the Age
Proteus, Portunus, and Saron, Their Song to the Ladies
The Shepherd's Holyday
Hymn to Pan
Perfect Beauty
Love and Death
To the Reader
To my Book
To my Bookseller
To King James
On the Union
To Alchemists
On the New Hot-house
On a Robbery
To all to whom I write
To my Lord Ignorant
On Somebody that walks Somewhere
On Lieutenant Shift
On Court-worm
To the Learned Critic
To my mere English Censurer
On Sir Cod the Perfumed
To the same
On Reformed Gamester
To John Donne
To the Parliament
On Sir Voluptuous Beast
On the same
On Sir John Roe
On Don Surly
To Person Guilty
On Sir John Roe
To the same
Of Death
To King James
To the Ghost of Martial
To Person Guilty
On Old Colt
On Margaret Ratclifle
On Gipsy
On Giles and Joan
To Robert Earl of Salisbury
On Chuffe, Banks the Usurer's Kinsman
To Sir Luckless Woo-all
To the same
On Mungril Esquire
To Playwright
To Sir Cod
To King James
To Censorious Courtling
To Old-end Gatherer
On Cheveril
On Poet-ape
On Bawds and Usurers
To Groom Idiot
On Spies
To William, Lord Mounteagle
To Fool, or Knave
To Fine Lady Would-be
To Robert, Earl of Salisbury
To the same
To my Muse
To Sir Henry Cary
To Thomas, Earl of Suffolk
On Playwright
To Pertinax Cob
To William Roe
On Court Parrot
To Courtling
To Thomas, Lord Chancellor Egerton
On Lippe, the Teacher
On Lucy, Countess of Bedford
To one that desired me not to name him
To Hornet
To Elizabeth, Countess of Rutland
To Prowle, the Plagiary
On cashiered Captain Surly
To a Friend
To Lucy, Countess of Bedford
To Sir Henry Goodyere
To the same
On Captain Hazard, the Cheater
On English Monsieur
To Edward Allen
On Mill, my Lady's Woman
To Sir Horace Vere
The New Cry
To Sir John Radcliffe
To Lucy, Countess of Bedford, with Master Donne's Satires
To Sir Henry Savile
To John Donne
On the New Motion
To Sir Thomas Roe
To the same
On Playwright
To William, Earl of Pembroke
To Mary, Lady Wroth
To Susan, Countess of Montgomery
To Mary, Lady Wroth
To Sir Edward Herbert
To Captain Hungry
To True Soldiers
To Sir Henry Nevil
To Clement Edmonds, on his Caesar's Commentaries, Observed and Translated
To the same. On the same
To a weak Gamester in Poetry
To Sir Thomas Overbury
To Mistress Philip Sidney
On the Town's Honest Man
To Sir William Jephson
On Groine
On Gut
To Sir Ralph Shelton
An Epitaph on Salathiel Pavy, a Child of Queen Elizabeth's Chapel
To Benjamin Rudyerd
To the same
To the same
Epitaph on Elizabeth, L. H.
To Sir William Uvedale
To his Lady, then Mistress Cary
To Esme, Lord Aubigny
To William Roe
To Mime
To Alphonso Ferrabosco, on his Book
To the same
To Mr. Joshua Silvester
On the Famous Voyage
Why I write not of Love
To Penshurst
To Sir Robert Wroth
To the World. A Farewell for a Gentlewoman, Virtuous and Noble
To the same
Song: That Women are but Men's Shadows
Song: To Sickness
Praeludium
Epistle to Elizabeth, Countess of Rutland
Epistle to Katharine, Lady Aubigny
Ode to Sir William Sidney, on his Birthday
To Heaven
To the Holy Trinity
An Hymn to God the Father
An Hymn on the Nativity of my Saviour
His excuse for Loving
How he saw her
What he Suffered
His Discourse with Cupid
Claiming a Second Kiss by desert
Begging another, on Colour of Mending the former
Urging her of a Promise
Her Man Described by her own Dictamen
Another Lady's Exception, Present at the Hearing
The Musical Strife: A Pastoral Dialogue
A Song
In the person of Womankind. A Song Apologetic
Another. In Defence of their Inconstancy
A Nymph's Passion
The Hour-Glass
My Picture left in Scotland
Against Jealousy
The Dream
An Epitaph on Master Vincent Corbet
To the Memory of my Beloved, Master William Shakspeare, and what he hath left us
On the Honoured Poems of his Honoured Friend, Sir John Beaumont, Baronet
To Mr. John Fletcher, upon his "Faithful Shepherdess"
A Vision, on the Muses of his Friend, Michael Drayton
Epitaph on Michael Drayton
To my truly beloved Friend, Master Brown, on his Pastorals
To his much and worthily esteemed friend, the Author (John Stephens)
To my worthy and honoured Friend, Master George Chapman
To my chosen friend, the learned Translator of Lucan, Thomas May, Esquire
To my dear Son and right learned friend, Master Joseph Rutter
Epigram. In Authorem (Nicholas Breton)
To the worthy Author, on the Husband
To the Author (Thomas Wright)
To the Author (T. Warre)
To Edward Filmer, on his Musical Work, dedicated to the Queen
To Richard Brome, on his Comedy of the " Northern Lass "
A Speech at a Tilting
An Epistle to Sir Edward Sackvile, now Earl of Dorset
An Epistle to Master John Selden
An Epistle to a Friend (Master Colby) to persuade him to the Wars
An Epitaph on Master Philip Gray
Epistle to a Friend
An Elegy
An Elegy
A Satirical Shrub
A little Shrub growing by
An Elegy
An Ode to Himself
The Mind of the Frontispiece to a Book
An Ode to James, Earl of Desmond
An Ode
An Ode
A Sonnet to the Noble Lady, the Lady Mary Wroth
A Fit of Rhyme against Rhyme
An Epigram on William, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer of England
An Epigram to Thomas, Lord Elesmere, the last Term he sat Chancellor
Another to the same
An Epigram to the Counsellor that Pleaded and Carried the Cause
An Epigram to the Small-pox
An Epitaph
A Song
An Epistle to a Friend
An Elegy
An Elegy
An Elegy
An Elegy
An Elegy
An Execration upon Vulcan
A Speech according to Horace
An Epistle to Master Arthur Squib
An Epigram on Sir Edward Coke, when he was Lord Chief Justice of England
An Epistle answering to One that asked to be Sealed of the Tribe of Ben
The Dedication of the King's New Cellar to Bacchus
An Epigram on the Court Pucelle
An Epigram to the Honoured Countess of * * *
On Lord Bacon's Birthday (22nd January)
The Poet to the Painter. An Answer
An Epigram. To William, Earl of Newcastle
Epistle to Master Arthur Squib
To Master John Burges
Epistle to my Lady Covell
To Master John Burges
Epigram to my Bookseller
An Epitaph on Henry, Lord La-ware
An Epigram to the Lord Keeper
An Epigram to King Charles for an Hundred Pounds he sent me in my Sickness
To King Charles and Queen Mary, for the loss of their Firstborn, 1629
An Epigram to our Great and Good King Charles, on his Anniversary Day, 1629
An Epigram on the Prince's Birth, 1630
An Epigram to the Queen then lying-in, 1630
An Ode or Song, by all the Muses, in celebration of her Majesty's birthday, 1630
An Epigram to the Household, 1630
An Epigram to a Friend and Son
Song: Sound, Sound Aloud
Song: Had Those That Dwelt in Error Foul
Song: Now, My Cunning Lady, Moon
Song: Melt Earth to Sea, Sea Flow to Air
Song: Nay, Nay, You Must Not Stay
Song: Nor Yet, Nor Yet, O You in This Night Blest
Song: Gentle Knights
Song: What Just Excuse Had Aged Time
Song: O, How Came Love, That Is Himself a Fire
Song: This Motion Was of Love Begot
Song: Have Men Beheld the Graces Dance
Song: Give End unto Thy Pastimes, Love
Song: Bow Both Your Heads at Once, and Hearts
Song: So Breaks the Sun Earth's Rugged Chains
Hymn: Room! Room! Make Room for the Bouncing Belly
Song: Wake, Hercules, Awake
Song: Ope, Aged Atlas, Open Then Thy Lap
Song: Come On, Come On! and Where You Go
Song: O More and More! This Was So Well
Song: It Follows Now You Are to Prove
Song: An Eye of Looking Back Were Well
Look Forth, the Shepherd of the Seas
Although We Wish the Triumph Still Might Last
Hymn II: Pan Is Our All
Hymn III: If Yet, If Yet
Hymn IV: Great Pan, the Father of Our Peace and Pleasure
Hymn: So Love Emergent Out of Chaos Brought
Song: Haste, Daughter Venus
Song: Come Forth, Come Forth, the Gentle Spring
Song: Fair Maid, but Are You Come to Dwell
Song: What Softer Sounds Are These
Song: Let's Sing About, and Say, Hey Troll
An Expostulation with Inigo Jones
To a Friend: An Epigram of Inigo Jones
To Inigo Marquis Would-be: A Corollary
Ode (to himself)
Song: Beauties, Have Ye Seen This Toy
Song: Break, Fantasy, from Thy Cave of Cloud
Song: How Near to Good Is What Is Fair
Over the Door at the Entrance into the Apollo

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