Archive for the 'edmund spenser' Category

One day I wrote her name upon the strand by Edmund Spenser

October 13th, 2007 Comments(0)

I’m surprised I’ve only posted one poem by Spenser…

One day I wrote her name upon the strand
By Edmund Spenser

One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
But came the waves and washed it away:
Again I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.
Vain man, said she, that dost in vain assay
A mortal thing so to immortalize!
For I myself shall like to this decay,
And eek my name be wiped out likewise.
Not so (quoth I), let baser things devise
To die in dust, but you shall live by fame:
My verse your virtues rare shall eternize,
And in the heavens write your glorious name;
Where, whenas death shall all the world subdue,
Our love shall live, and later life renew.

Most glorious Lord of life, that on this day by Edmund Spenser

April 23rd, 2005 Comments(0)

I’m in an inexplicably good mood today.

Most glorious Lord of life, that on this day
By Edmund Spenser

Most glorious Lord of life, that on this day
Didst make thy triumph over death and sin,
And having harrowed hell, didst bring away
Captivity thence captive, us to win:
This joyous day, dear Lord, with joy begin,
And grant that we, for whom thou diddest die,
Being with thy dear blood clean washed from sin,
May live forever in felicity:
And that thy love we weighing worthily,
May likewise love thee for the same again;
And for thy sake, that all like dear didst buy,
May love with one another entertain.
   So let us love, dear love, like as we ought,
   Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.