107 quotes
Me seemes the world is runne quite out of square,
From the first point of his appointed sourse,
And being once amisse growes daily wourse and wourse.
The Faerie Queene (1589)
And is there care in Heaven? And is there love
In heavenly spirits to these Creatures bace?
The Faerie Queene (1589)
Her angel's face,
As the great eye of heaven, shyned bright,
And made a sunshine in the shady place.
Ah, when will this long weary day have end,
And lende me leave to come unto my love?
Epithalamion (1595)
Some were so from their source endu’d,
By great dame nature, from whose fruitful pap,
Their well-heads spring.
From good to bad, and from bad to worse,
From worse unto that is worst of all,
And then return to his former fall.
For we by conquest, of our soveraine might,
And by eternall doome of Fate's decree,
Have wonne the Empire of the Heavens bright.
The Faerie Queene (1589)
Her long loose yellow locks lyke golden wyre,
Sprinckled with perle, and perling flowres atweene,
Doe lyke a golden mantle her attyre.
He that strives to touch a star,
Oft stumbles at a straw.
And thus of all my harvest-hope I have
Nought reaped but a weedye crop of care.
Dido, my deare, alas! is dead,
Dead, and lyeth wrapt in lead.
O heavie herse!
The Shepheardes Calender (1579)
To kerke the narre from God more farre,
Has bene an old-sayd sawe;
And he that strives to touche a starre
Oft stombles at a strawe.
The Shepheardes Calender (1579)
Gold all is not that doth golden seem.
Together linkt with adamantine chains.
Thankfulness is the tune of angels.
Her face so faire, as flesh it seemed not,
But heavenly pourtraict of bright angels' hew,
Cleare as the skye withouten blame or blot,
Through goodly mixture of complexion's dew.
What then can move her? if nor merth, nor mone,
She is no woman, but a sencelesse stone.
Amoretti (1595)
Don Chaucer, well of English undefyled
On Fame's eternall beadroll worthie to be fyled.
Fondnesse it were for any being free,
To covet fetters, though they golden bee.
Amoretti (1595)
For next to Death is Sleepe to be compared;
Therefore his house is unto his annext:
Here Sleepe, ther Richesse, and hel-gate them both betwext.