A Song.

John Dryden 1631 (Aldwincle) – 1631 (London)



Go tell Amynta, gentle swain,
I would not die, nor dare complain:
Thy tuneful voice with numbers join,
Thy words will more prevail than mine.
To souls oppress'd and dumb with grief,
The gods ordain this kind relief;
That music should in sounds convey,
What dying lovers dare not say.
  
A sigh or tear perhaps she'll give,
But love on pity cannot live.
Tell her that hearts for hearts were made,
And love with love is only paid.
Tell her my pains so fast increase,
That soon they will be past redress;
But ah! the wretch that speechless lies,
Attends but death to close his eyes.
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
4

Quick analysis:

Scheme AAXXBBCC XXDDXXEE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 564
Words 107
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 8

John Dryden

John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668. more…

All John Dryden poems | John Dryden Books

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    "A Song." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/55888/a-song.>.

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