poems about love

I.

How happy was that Age of Old
When Hearts were neither bought, nor sold?
When each unmercenary She
For Love expected nought but Love;
And when the kind protesting He
His Passion by his Faith did prove:
When Friends each other's Words did take,
And Honesty did all their Bargains make!

II.

Then Look for Look, and Kiss for Kiss,
Was all was giv'n her Love, or his ;
Or for Exchange of Hearts was paid,
By the gen'rous youthful Swain,

No hand can move in earth or hell
Against the soul Christ loves,
But as directed by his will,
But as his love approves.

Then let him raise his chast'ning hand,
We bend beneath his rod,
Resign his gifts at his command,
And still adore our God!

Silent be all my anxious sears,
My heart no more repine,
Since Jesus in his bosom wears
The flow'r that once was mine!

I'll love my Lord, and trust his word,
Though he thinks fit to frown;
And bless the hand that holds the sword

They who have loved too well—and been betrayed,
Tried in the fire and utterly dismayed,
Strange, is it not, how they return to Love,
And bare their hearts to his great gleaming blade!

She knew that Love was dying — not so much
When Love's dear eyes were closed and blind to her,
As when, with patient word and tender touch,
Love, day by day, alas! grew kind to her!

OXFORD TUNE.

Saviour of sinners, from thy death
Our spirits draw their heav'nly breath;
Thy dying groans with life abound,
And healing flows from ev'ry wound!

Thy sorrows are a fruitful tree,
Whereon rich blessings grow for me:
Thy spotless life a golden mine,
Where all my brightest treasures shine.

Out of thy fulness we receive
The grace and faith by which we live;
Thy broken body is our food,
The wine we drink is thy rich blood.

Thy righteousness is all our dress,

Rich, Precious Thing! you'll not be mine, it seems,
Because you say, no Wit, but Wealth contemns;
Wherefore, since your Wealth is your Merit, you
Will it on him who loves it most, bestow;
Whilst you the Rich, the Proud, and Covetous,
For your Gallant, True Lover, or your Spouse,
For loving Money more, but less shou'd chuse;
My Rival, the Rich Miser, then refuse,
Since thee he'd ne'r, because a Rich Thing, use;
But you great Fortunes, like your Money too,
Shun Lavish Wits, who wou'd make use of you,

If Public Spirits, which the Public still
Will serve, altho' against the Public's Will,
Beget, for Public Men, the Public Praise,
Why shou'd they be, all Public Dames Disgrace?
Whilst Men gain (as more Public) much more Fame,
Yet Public Women get more Public Shame,
As more t'oblige all Mankind, is their Aim;
Who shou'd obtain more Kindness, and more Praise,
As Suff'ring, for the Public, more Disgrace;
And why shou'd Men, but for destroying Man
From Mankind, but more Fame, and Honour gain?
Yet you, for your increasing Human-Kind,

When on my beloved I gaze,
So dazzling his beauties appear,
His charms so transcendantly blaze,
The sight is too melting to bear!

When from my own vileness I turn
To Jesus, expos'd on the tree,
With shame and with wonder I burn,
To think what he suffer'd for me.

My sins, oh how black they appear,
When in that dear bosom they meet!
Those sins were the nails and the spear
That wounded his hands and his feet.

'Twas justice that wreath'd for his head
The thorns that encircled it round.

Love , like a bird born in a cage,
In bondage gaily sings,
Nor sighs to rove, but prizes more
His fetters than his wings.
Then do not strive those chains to break,
Tho' lighter than a feather —
They're twined so closely round the heart,
That both must break together.

Never tell me of loving by measure and weight,
As one's merits may lack or abound;
As if love could be carried to market, like skate,
And cheapened for so much a pound.

If it can, — if yours can, — let them have it who care;
You and I, friend, shall never agree;
Pack, and to market; be off with your ware;
It's a great deal too common for me.

Do ye linger and laugh? I'm sincere, I declare,
But belike over-hasty in thought;
If it suits ye to close with my terms as they are,