love poems

When love and the fireside inspired,
Words dropped from his eloquent lips
Like music from the golden lyre
Swept by Apollo's finger-tips.

When love and the fireside inspired,
Words dropped from his eloquent lips
Like music from the golden lyre
Swept by Apollo's finger-tips.

'Twas in that Month which follows May ,
(I never can forget the Day! )
When first I gaz'd on Phaebe 's Eyes,
When first my Heart became her Prize
In Sighs the tedious Summer past:
We cheerful Autumn saw at last;
But still I sigh'd: rude Winter came;
In Frost , and Snow I burnt the same:
Now Spring returns; still, still I burn!
When, Love! must Phaebe have her Turn

When Poets lavish all their Store,
 To paint a Mistress gay;
They prove not how their Souls adore,
 But what their Muse can say.

Fame, the great Object of their Vows,
 By various Names they woo;
And, while to Beauty Fancy bows,
 Their Souls a Breath persue.

Me no such vain Ambition movesm——
 Ye Bards, enjoy your Fame!
My Heart can simply say it loves :
 And heave M ONTELIA 's Name.

M ONTELIA 's Charms so far excell,
 They make my Soul their Slave;
She's more, at least, than I can tell;

Cease, soft Belinda , to deplore
Your favour'd Dove , who feels no more,
Nor can your Grief the Loss repair;
Rather compassionate your Swain ,
Who lives , and loves, and sighs in vain,
And longs for Death to end his Care .

Who can describe, in Numbers fit,
All the new Pangs by Lovers found;
When, undesigning, first they meet;
Give and receive the destin'd Wound?

Who can? Yet since this friendly Lay
Damon demands, O Muse rehearse
What govern'd Fancy bids thee say —
May Phaebus aid the flowing Verse!

Love wears a Thousand diff'rent Forms;
He wins the Heart a Thousand Ways:

I.

As lovesick Damon lay along
 Beneath a melancholy Shade ,
Sooth'd by the nightly Warbler 's Song,
 Thus the unhappy Shepherd said,

II.

Sweet Philomel , who haunt the Grove ,
 Where I lament my wretched Fate ,
Our joint Complaint , alas! is Love ,
 The Diff'rence of our Fortune great.

III.

Relief to me no Seasons bring,
 For ever doom'd, to sigh in vain;
But you, sweet Bird , who mourn in Spring ,
 In Summer Pleasures lose your Pain .

IV.

(A spirit with a naked sword.)

— A shadowy form I come from Babigor;
Sent by thy country to her doubting son —
O! on love's triflings waste thy soul no more:
Mina, or country — choose, and choose but one. —

(A spirit with a bent bow.)

— I visit thee from love's flower-scatter'd shore;
Three days my arrow Lada has possess'd
To sharpen — tell me, tell me, I implore —
Dost love thy country or thy Mina best? —
The midnight struck — I left the awful spot:
My eye still fix'd upon the misty shade —

Cloe, as sweet as vernal Flow'rs,
Lov'd Partner of my softer Hours,
As Venus fair, as Turtles kind,
Airy, and wanton as the Wind;
That you may still more charming prove,
Behold soft Ovid 's Art of Love!
But who, that to the Combat goes,
Against himself e'er arm'd his Foes?
If you are true , as you profess,
This ne'er can make you; love me less ;
If, false , you wou'd in Art excell,
'Twill teach you to deceive me well.

Upon Love's sea, our barques shall sail
No more together;
The dark'ning sky and rising gale
Bring stormy weather.

The cruel Fates, at last, sweetheart,
Our love must sever, —
Must furl our sails, drift us apart
For aye and ever.

I pray a sunny port be thine,
When storm is over;
I know whatever lot be mine,
I'm still thy lover.

Upon Love's sea, our barques shall sail
No more together;
The dark'ning sky and rising gale
Bring stormy weather.

1

C. C. Rider, just see what you have done!
You made me love you, now yo' woman's done come!
You made me love you, now yo' woman's done come!
You made me love you, now yo' woman's done come!

2

You caused me, Rider, to hang my head and cry;
You put me down; God knows I don't see why!
You put me down; God knows I don't see why!
You put me down; God knows I don't see why!