The Expiration

John Donne 1572 (London) – 1631 (London)



So, so, break off this last lamenting kiss,
Which sucks two souls, and vapors both away,
Turn thou ghost that way, and let me turn this,
And let our selves benight our happiest day,
We ask none leave to love; nor will we owe
Any, so cheap a death, as saying, Go;
Go; and if that word have not quite kil'd thee,
Ease me with death, by bidding me go too.
Oh, if it have, let my word work on me,
And a just office on a murderer do.
Except it be too late, to kill me so,
Being double dead, going, and bidding, go.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 13, 2023

32 sec read
93

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCCDEDECC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 506
Words 107
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

John Donne

John Donne was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. more…

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