Michael Drayton Poems

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 FAIR stood the wind for France 
When we our sails advance, 
Nor now to prove our chance 
Longer will tarry; 
But putting to the main, 
At Caux, the mouth of Seine, 
With all his martial train 
Landed King Harry. 

And taking many a fort, 
Furnish'd in warlike sort, 
Marcheth tow'rds Agincourt 
In happy hour; 
Skirmishing day by day 
With...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 In Ionia whence sprang old poets' fame,
From whom that sea did first derive her name,
The blessed bed whereon the Muses lay,
Beauty of Greece, the pride of Asia,
Whence Archelaus, whom times historify,
First unto Athens brought philosophy:
In this fair region on a goodly plain,
Stretching her bounds unto the bord'ring main,
The mountain Latmus overlooks the sea,
Smiling to see the ocean billows play:
Latmus,...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 An evil spirit, your beauty, haunts me still,
Wherewith, alas, I have been long possess'd,
Which ceaseth not to tempt me to each ill,
Nor gives me once but one poor minute's rest.
In me it speaks, whether I sleep or wake;
And when by means to drive it out I try,
With greater torments then it me doth take,
And tortures me in most extremity.
Before...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Dear, why should you command me to my rest
When now the night doth summon all to sleep?
Methinks this time becometh lovers best;
Night was ordain'd together friends to keep.
How happy are all other living things
Which, though the day disjoin by sev'ral flight,
The quiet ev'ning yet together brings,
And each returns unto his love at night!
O thou that art so courteous else...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 But let us leave Queen Mab a while,
Through many a gate, o'er many a stile,
That now had gotten by this wile,
Her dear Pigwiggen kissing;
And tell how Oberon doth fare,
Who grew as mad as any hare,
When he had sought each place with care,
And found his queen was missing.
By grisly Pluto he doth swear,
He rent his clothes, and tore his hair,
And...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Fair stood the wind for France,
When we our sails advance;
Nor now to prove our chance
Longer will tarry;
But putting to the main,
At Caux, the mouth of Seine,
With all his martial train
Landed King Harry.

And taking many a fort,
Furnish'd in warlike sort,
Marcheth towards Agincourt
In happy hour;
Skirmishing day by day
With those that stopp'd his way,
Where the French gen'ral lay
With all his power.

Which, in...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 All feathered things yet ever known to men, 
From the huge Rucke, unto the little Wren; 
From Forrest, Fields, from Rivers and from Pons, 
All that have webs, or cloven-footed ones; 
To the Grand Arke, together friendly came, 
Whose several species were too long to name...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Like an advent'rous seafarer am I, 
Who hath some long and dang'rous voyage been, 
And, call'd to tell of his discovery, 
How far he sail'd, what countries he had seen; 
Proceeding from the port whence he put forth, 
Shows by his compass how his course he steer'd, 
When East, when West, when South, and when by North, 
As how...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Taking my pen, with words to cast my woe, 
Duly to count the sum of all my cares, 
I find my griefs innumerable grow, 
The reckonings rise to millions of despairs; 
And thus dividing of my fatal hours, 
The payments of my love I read and cross, 
Subtracting, set my sweets unto my sours, 
My joy's arrearage leads me...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 As other men, so I myself do muse 
Why in this sort I wrest invention so, 
And why these giddy metaphors I use, 
Leaving the path the greater part do go. 
I will resolve you: I am lunatic, 
And ever this in madmen you shall find, 
What they last thought of when the brain grew sick 
In most distraction...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Another to the River Anker

Clear Anker, on whose silver-sanded shore 
My soul-shrin'd saint, my fair Idea, lies, 
O blessed brook, whose milk-white swans adore 
The crystal stream refined by her eyes, 
Where sweet myrrh-breathing Zephyr in the Spring 
Gently distils his nectar-dropping showers, 
Where nightingales in Arden sit and sing 
Among the dainty dew-impearled flowers; 
Say thus, fair Brook,...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 When like an eaglet I first found my Love, 
For that the virtue I thereof would know, 
Upon the nest I set it forth to prove 
If it were of that kingly kind or no; 
But it no sooner say my Sun appear, 
But on her rays with open eyes it stood, 
To show that I had hatch'd it...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 You best discern'd of my mind's inward eyes, 
And yet your graces outwardly divine, 
Whose dear remembrance in my bosom lies, 
Too rich a relic for so poor a shrine; 
You, in whom Nature chose herself to view 
When she her own perfection would admire, 
Bestowing all her excellence on you, 
At whose pure eyes Love lights his hallow'd...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Truce, gentle Love, a parley now I crave; 
Methinks 'tis long since first these wars begun; 
Nor thou nor I the better yet can have; 
Bad is the match where neither party won. 
I offer free conditions of fair peace, 
My heart for hostage that it shall remain; 
Discharge our forces, here let malice cease, 
So for my pledge...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 Love in a humor play'd the prodigal 
And bade my Senses to a solemn feast; 
Yet, more to grace the company withal, 
Invites my Heart to be the chiefest guest. 
No other drink would serve this glutton's turn 
But precious tears distilling from mine eyne, 
Which with my sighs this epicure doth burn, 
Quaffing carouses in this costly wine;...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 You not alone, when you are still alone, 
O God, from you that I could private be. 
Since you one were, I never since was one; 
Since you in me, my self since out of me, 
Transported from my self into your being; 
Though either distant, present yet to either, 
Senseless with too much joy, each other seeing, 
And...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 To Humor

You cannot love, my pretty heart, and why? 
There was a time you told me that you would; 
But now again you will the same deny, 
If it might please you, would to God you could. 
What, will you hate? Nay, that you will not, neither. 
Nor love nor hate, how then? What will you do? 
What, will...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 My heart the anvil where my thoughts do beat; 
My words the hammers fashioning my desire; 
My breast the forge including all the heat; 
Love is the fuel which maintains the fire; 
My sighs the bellows which the flame increaseth, 
Filling mine ears with noise and nightly groaning; 
Toiling with pain, my labor never ceaseth, 
In grievous passions my...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 An Allusion to the Phoenix

'Mongst all the creatures in this spacious round 
Of the birds' kind, the Phoenix is alone, 
Which best by you of living things is known; 
None like to that, none like to you is found. 
Your beauty is the hot and splend'rous sun, 
The precious spices be your chaste desire, 
Which being kindled by that...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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 You brave heroic minds,
Worthy your country's name,
That honour still pursue,
Go, and subdue,
Whilst loit'ring hinds
Lurke here at home with shame.

Britons, you stay too long,
Quickly aboard bestow you;
And with a merry gale
Swell your stretched sail,
With vows as strong
As the winds that blow you.

Your course securely steer,
West and by South forth keep;
Rocks, lee-shores, nor shoals,
When Eolus scowls,
You need nor fear,
So absolute the...Read more of this...

by Drayton, Michael

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