Act IV: Scene III
(Enter Pauline)With what intent, Pauline, hast thou come here?Have I a friend to aid, or foe to fear?Is it Christ's soldier that thou com'st to greet?Or wouldst thou sink my triumph in defeat?If thou wouldst bid me spurn the debt I owe,Not Decius, but Pauline, my deadliest foe!
PAUL.All, save thyself, to thee, my love, are friends:Love but thyself, love me,--thy torment ends.Alone thou seal'st thy doom, alone wouldst shedThat blood by all Armenia honoured.Yes, thou art saved, if thou for mercy plead;Demand thy death, and thou are lost indeed.Think of the worth of this self-hated life,And think in pity of Pauline,--thy wife!Think of the people that their prince adores,Think of the honours Felix on thee pours!Oh, I am nothing, nothing unto thee,But, husband, think how dear thou art to me!Think how the path of glory on thee opes,Thou dearest lodestar of a nation's hopes!Shall blood of kings be but the headsman's sport?Is life a toy wherewith thy death to court?
POLY.I think of more than this; I know what thou wouldst say.Our life is ours to use, and we that debt must pay.What life is this men love? An idle, empty dream,Where nothing can endure,--where all things only seem.Death ends their every joy which fickle Fortune leaves,They gain a royal throne to learn how pomp deceives;They gather wealth that men may envy their estate,They clear a path by blood, so envy turns to hate.Such vast ambition mine as Caesar never knew,Death bounds it not, for death is but its servant true.Peace that the world ne'er gave, and cannot take away,That peace, Pauline, is mine, mine wholly, mine for aye!Nor time, nor fate, nor chance, nor cruel war,Can touch this peace, or this my kingdom mar.Is this poor life--the creature of a dayFor endless peace too great a price to pay?
PAUL.'Out on these Christian dreams!' my reason cries;Whene'er they speak of truth, they utter lies.Thou say'st: 'To win such prize my life is naught!'But is thy life thine own? How was it bought?Our life an heirloom to our country due;What gave thee birth, demands thy service too?Pay, then thy debt to her who has the right!
POLY.Ah, for my country I would gladly fight!I know the glory of a hero's name,I feel the thrill,--I recognise the claim.My life I owe to whom I owe my sword--But most to Him who gave it--to the Lord!Oh, if to die for fatherland be sweet,To die for Him--my God--what word is meet?
PAUL.Which God?
POLY.Hush! hush! Pauline; the God who hearsAnd answers prayers,--gives hopes, assuages fears.Thy gods are deaf and senseless, maimed and weak,Tongues, mouths they have, and yet they cannot speak.The Christians' God alone is mine,--is thine,Jehovah only rules--supreme--divine!
PAUL.Adore Him in thy heart, but say no word!
POLY.What! Can I call Jove and Jehovah--Lord?
PAUL.One moment feign. Ah, let Severus go!Let but my father all his kindness show!
POLY.Another Father mine! His love most dearRemoves me from a world begirt with fear.For life's stern race too weak, too frail am I,So, by kind death, He gives me Victory.Pure from the holy font--(His mercies never fail!)He brings His barque to port, when it hath scarce set sail.Couldst thou but understand how poor this earth,Couldst thou but grasp how great this second birth!And yet, why speak of treasure rare concealedFrom one to whom light is yet unrevealed?
PAUL.O cruel! I can strangle pain no more!Is this the fruit of all thy heavenly lore?They say thy Christ His enemies did bless,Thou addest insult to my deep distress.How is my soul so dark--which was so fair?--Thou call'dst me 'lovely'--'dear'--'beyond compare!'--Of my bereavement have I said no word,I stilled my grief that I might soothe my lord!They say that love has wings, and all they say is true,For all thy love has flown; yet can I ne'er undoThe vows I made, the troth I plighted binds me still!Thou fain wouldst quit thy wife, and thou shalt have thy will.Oh, but to leave my side with rapture, ecstasy,No jealous Christ can will: why grudge me one poor sigh?This joy, this transport fierce, endeavour to conceal.I do not share thy creed, but I, at least, can feel!Why gloat o'er heavenly gain, crowns, palms, I know not what--Where Polyeucte is blest, but where Pauline is not?Soul, body, spirit, I am thy true wife, to ownThat I am but a bar to happiness unknown!
POLY.Alas!
PAUL.O! that 'Alas!'--so faint, so tame!Yet, if repentant from thy heart it came,'Twould waken hope, still brief, and banish fears:I wait the birth of thy reluctant tears.
POLY.These tears I shed! O, might the Spirit pourThrough them the light, the light that I adore--Then were my only grief all swept away,For thou wouldst join me in the realms of day!Else Heaven itself would have its bitterness,Should I look down to witness thy distress!O God, who lov'st the dust on which Thy breathHath stamped Thine image true--save her from death!The only death that kills, and let my loveFrom Heaven woo her to the realms above!Lord, hear my call! My inmost heart now see,Who lives a Christian life must Christian be!Her nature god-like, stamped from print divine;She must be sealed Thine own, yes, only Thine!Say, must she burn, condemned to depths of hell?--Thy Will be done--Who doest all things well!
PAUL.O wretch, what words are these? Thou dost desire----
POLY.To snatch thee from a never-ending fire.
PAUL.Or else?
POLY.O God, I trust to Thy control,Who when we think not, canst illume the soul!The when--the how--is His--here am I dumb,--I wait--I wait--That blessed hour will come!
PAUL.Oh, leave illusions! Love me!
POLY.Thee I loveFar more than self, but less than God above!
PAUL.For love's dear sake, ah, listen to my prayer!
POLY.For love's dear sake--await the answer there!
PAUL.To leave me here is naught! Thou wouldst seduce my soul!
POLY.Heaven is scarce Heaven for me, if thou reach not the goal.
PAUL.O fancy-fooled!
POLY.Nay, led by heavenly light!
PAUL.Thy faith is blindness!
POLY.Faith is more than sight!
PAUL.Ah, death, strange rival to a wife's pure love!
POLY.This world our rival with the joys above!
PAUL.Go, monster! woo thy death! Thou lov'dst me never!
POLY.Go, seek the world! and yet I love thee ever!
PAUL.Yes, I will go--if absence bring relief--
Words in this poem 30
- pauline a.
- Of or pertaining to the apostle Paul, or his writings; resembling, or conforming to, the writings of Paul; as, the Pauline epistles; Pauline doctrine. [L. Paulinus, fr. Paulus Paul.]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- defeat v. t.
- To undo; to disfigure; to destroy. [From F. défait, OF. desfait, p. p. ofe défaire, OF. desfaire, to undo; L. dis- + facere to do. See Feat, Fact, and cf. Disfashion.]
- spurn v. t.
- To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. [OE. spurnen to kick against, to stumble over, AS. spurnan to kick, offend; akin to spura spur, OS. & OHG. spurnan to kick, Icel. spyrna, L. spernere to despise,]
- lodestar n.
- A star that leads; a guiding star; esp., the polestar; the cynosure. [Load, lode + star. See Lode.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- wherewith adv.
- With which; -- used relatively.
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- gladly adv.
- Preferably; by choice. [From Glad, a.]
- recognise v. t.
- To know again; to perceive the identity of, with a person or thing previously known; to recover or recall knowledge of. [From Recognizance; see Cognition, and cf. Reconnoiter.]
- fatherland n.
- One's native land; the native land of one's fathers or ancestors. [Imitated fr. D. vaderland. See Father, and Land.]
- adore v. t.
- To worship with profound reverence; to pay divine honors to; to honor as deity or as divine. [OE. aouren, anouren, adoren, OF. aorer, adorer, F. adorer, fr. L. adorare; ad + orare to speak, pray, os, oris, mouth. In OE. confused with honor, the French pr]
- jove n.
- The chief divinity of the ancient Romans; Jupiter. [L. Jupiter, gen. Jovis, OL. Jovis, nom. & gen. for Djovis; akin to E. Tuesday. See Tuesday, and cf. Jupiter.]
- begirt v. t.
- To encompass; to begird.
- barque n.
- Formerly, any small sailing vessel, as a pinnace, fishing smack, etc.; also, a rowing boat; a barge. Now applied poetically to a sailing vessel or boat of any kind. [F. barque, fr. Sp. or It. barca, fr. LL. barca for barica. See Barge.]
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- bereavement n.
- The state of being bereaved; deprivation; esp., the loss of a relative by death.
- soothe v. t.
- To assent to as true. Testament of Love. [Originally, to assent to as true; OE. so to verify, AS. ges to prove the truth of, to bear witness. See Sooth, a.]
- flown a.
- Flushed, inflated.
- troth n.
- Belief; faith; fidelity. [A variant of truth. See Truth.]
- fain v. t.
- To be glad ; to wish or desire.
- shalt
- 2d per. sing. of Shall.
- endeavour v. t.
- To exert physical or intellectual strength for the attainment of; to use efforts to effect; to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt. [OE. endevor; pref. en- + dever, devoir, duty, F. devoir: cf. F. se mettre en devoir de faire quelque chose to try to do a thing, to go about it. See Devoir, Deb]
- gloat v. i.
- To look steadfastly; to gaz In vengeance gloating on another's pain. [Akin to Icel. glotta to smile scornfully, G. glotzen to gloat.]
- repentant a.
- Penitent; sorry for sin. [F. repentant.]
- waken v. i.
- To wake; to cease to sleep; to be awakened. [OE. waknen, AS. wæcnan; akin to Goth. gawaknan. See Wake, v. i.]
- inmost a.
- Deepest within; farthest from the surface or external part; innermost. [OE. innemest, AS. innemest, a double superlative form fr. inne within, fr. in in. The modern form is due to confusion with most. See In, and cf. Aftermost, Fore]
- illume v. t.
- To throw or spread light upon; to make light or bright; to illuminate; to illumine. [Cf. F. illuminer. See Illuminate.]
- await v. t.
- To watch for; to look out for. [OF. awaitier, agaitier; (L. ad) + waitier, gaitier to watch, F. guetter. See Wait.]
- seduce v. t.
- To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty in any manner; to entice to evil; to lead astray; to tempt and lead to iniquity; to corrupt. [L. seducere, seductum; pref. se- aside + ducere to lead. See Duke.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act IV: Scene III is in the public domain. This text is taken from Polyeucte, Project Gutenberg ebook #2543, the Thomas Constable translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Pierre Corneille, Act IV: Scene III, in Polyeucte (1910), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #2543, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/corneille-polyeucte/act-iv-scene-iii.html, id L27792.
Form and metre
Act IV: Scene III is 171 lines in 34 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 60% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%).
See other poems in heroic couplets, other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 -AABBCC pauline · hereA · fearA · greetB · defeatB · oweC · foeC
- 2 -AABBCCDDEEFFGGHH paul · friendsA · endsA · shedB · honouredB · pleadC · indeedC · lifeD · wifeD · adoresE · poursE · theeF · meF · opesG · hopesG · sportH · courtH
- 3 -AABBCCDDEEA---AA poly · sayA · payA · dreamB · seemB · leavesC · deceivesC · estateD · hateD · knewE · trueE · awayA · aye · war · mar · dayA · payA
- 4 -AABBCC- paul · criesA · liesA · naughtB · boughtB · dueC · tooC · right
- 5 --AABBCC poly · fight · nameA · claimA · swordB · lordB · sweetC · meetC
- 7 -AABBCC poly · hearsA · fearsA · weakB · speakB · thineC · divineC
- 10 -AA paul · goA · showA
- 11 -AA--BBCCDD poly · dearA · fearA · i · victory · failB · sailB · earthC · birthC · concealedD · unrevealedD
- 12 -AABBCC--DDEE--FF--GG paul · moreA · loreA · blessB · distressB · fairC · compareC · word · lord · trueD · undoD · stillE · willE · ecstasy · sigh · concealF · feelF · what · not · ownG · unknownG
- 14 -AABB paul · tameA · cameA · fearsB · tearsB
- 15 -AABBCCDDEEFFGGHH poly · pourA · adoreA · awayB · dayB · bitternessC · distressC · breathD · deathD · loveE · aboveE · seeF · beF · divineG · thineG · hellH · wellH
- 19 -AABB poly · controlA · soulA · dumbB · comeB
- 21 -AA poly · loveA · aboveA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| (Enter Pauline) | 4 | /˘˘/ |
| With what intent, Pauline, hast thou come here? | 10 | ··˘/˘/···· |
| Have I a friend to aid, or foe to fear? | 10 | ·········· |
| Is it Christ's soldier that thou com'st to greet? | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Or wouldst thou sink my triumph in defeat? | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| If thou wouldst bid me spurn the debt I owe, | 10 | ·········· |
| Not Decius, but Pauline, my deadliest foe! | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| All, save thyself, to thee, my love, are friends: | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Love but thyself, love me,--thy torment ends. | 10 | ··˘/···/·· |
| Alone thou seal'st thy doom, alone wouldst shed | 10 | ˘/····˘/·· |
| That blood by all Armenia honoured. | 10 | ····˘/˘˘/˘ |
| Yes, thou art saved, if thou for mercy plead; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Demand thy death, and thou are lost indeed. | 10 | ˘/······˘/ |
| Think of the worth of this self-hated life, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| And think in pity of Pauline,--thy wife! | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| Think of the people that their prince adores, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| Think of the honours Felix on thee pours! | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Oh, I am nothing, nothing unto thee, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| But, husband, think how dear thou art to me! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Think how the path of glory on thee opes, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Thou dearest lodestar of a nation's hopes! | 10 | ·/˘/···/˘· |
| Shall blood of kings be but the headsman's sport? | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Is life a toy wherewith thy death to court? | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| I think of more than this; I know what thou wouldst say. | 12 | ············ |
| Our life is ours to use, and we that debt must pay. | 12 | /··/········ |
| What life is this men love? An idle, empty dream, | 12 | ·······/˘/˘· |
| Where nothing can endure,--where all things only seem. | 12 | ·/˘·˘/···/˘· |
| Death ends their every joy which fickle Fortune leaves, | 12 | ···/˘··/˘/˘· |
| They gain a royal throne to learn how pomp deceives; | 12 | ···/˘·····˘/ |
| They gather wealth that men may envy their estate, | 12 | ·/˘····/˘·˘/ |
| They clear a path by blood, so envy turns to hate. | 12 | ·······/˘··· |
| Such vast ambition mine as Caesar never knew, | 11 | ··˘/˘··/˘/· |
| Death bounds it not, for death is but its servant true. | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| Peace that the world ne'er gave, and cannot take away, | 12 | ·······/˘·˘/ |
| That peace, Pauline, is mine, mine wholly, mine for aye! | 12 | ··˘/···/˘··· |
| Nor time, nor fate, nor chance, nor cruel war, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Can touch this peace, or this my kingdom mar. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Is this poor life--the creature of a day | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| For endless peace too great a price to pay? | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| 'Out on these Christian dreams!' my reason cries; | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Whene'er they speak of truth, they utter lies. | 11 | ········/˘· |
| Thou say'st: 'To win such prize my life is naught!' | 10 | ·········· |
| But is thy life thine own? How was it bought? | 10 | ·········· |
| Our life an heirloom to our country due; | 10 | /··/··//˘· |
| What gave thee birth, demands thy service too? | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| Pay, then thy debt to her who has the right! | 10 | ·········· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Ah, for my country I would gladly fight! | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| I know the glory of a hero's name, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| I feel the thrill,--I recognise the claim. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| My life I owe to whom I owe my sword-- | 10 | ·········· |
| But most to Him who gave it--to the Lord! | 10 | ·········· |
| Oh, if to die for fatherland be sweet, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| To die for Him--my God--what word is meet? | 10 | ·········· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Which God? | 2 | ·· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Hush! hush! Pauline; the God who hears | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| And answers prayers,--gives hopes, assuages fears. | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘· |
| Thy gods are deaf and senseless, maimed and weak, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Tongues, mouths they have, and yet they cannot speak. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The Christians' God alone is mine,--is thine, | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
| Jehovah only rules--supreme--divine! | 10 | ˘/˘/˘·˘/˘/ |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Adore Him in thy heart, but say no word! | 10 | ˘/········ |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| What! Can I call Jove and Jehovah--Lord? | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| One moment feign. Ah, let Severus go! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Let but my father all his kindness show! | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Another Father mine! His love most dear | 10 | ˘/˘/˘····· |
| Removes me from a world begirt with fear. | 10 | ˘/····˘/·· |
| For life's stern race too weak, too frail am I, | 10 | ·········· |
| So, by kind death, He gives me Victory. | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Pure from the holy font--(His mercies never fail!) | 11 | ···/˘··/˘/· |
| He brings His barque to port, when it hath scarce set sail. | 12 | ············ |
| Couldst thou but understand how poor this earth, | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Couldst thou but grasp how great this second birth! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| And yet, why speak of treasure rare concealed | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| From one to whom light is yet unrevealed? | 10 | ·········· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| O cruel! I can strangle pain no more! | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Is this the fruit of all thy heavenly lore? | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| They say thy Christ His enemies did bless, | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| Thou addest insult to my deep distress. | 10 | ···/····˘/ |
| How is my soul so dark--which was so fair?-- | 10 | ·········· |
| Thou call'dst me 'lovely'--'dear'--'beyond compare!'-- | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘/ |
| Of my bereavement have I said no word, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| I stilled my grief that I might soothe my lord! | 10 | ·········· |
| They say that love has wings, and all they say is true, | 12 | ············ |
| For all thy love has flown; yet can I ne'er undo | 12 | ··········˘/ |
| The vows I made, the troth I plighted binds me still! | 12 | ·······/˘··· |
| Thou fain wouldst quit thy wife, and thou shalt have thy will. | 12 | ············ |
| Oh, but to leave my side with rapture, ecstasy, | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| No jealous Christ can will: why grudge me one poor sigh? | 12 | ·/˘········· |
| This joy, this transport fierce, endeavour to conceal. | 12 | ···/˘·˘/˘·˘/ |
| I do not share thy creed, but I, at least, can feel! | 12 | ············ |
| Why gloat o'er heavenly gain, crowns, palms, I know not what-- | 12 | ···/˘······· |
| Where Polyeucte is blest, but where Pauline is not? | 11 | ·······˘/·· |
| Soul, body, spirit, I am thy true wife, to own | 11 | ·/˘/······· |
| That I am but a bar to happiness unknown! | 11 | ·······/˘˘/ |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Alas! | 2 | ˘/ |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| O! that 'Alas!'--so faint, so tame! | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| Yet, if repentant from thy heart it came, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| 'Twould waken hope, still brief, and banish fears: | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| I wait the birth of thy reluctant tears. | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| These tears I shed! O, might the Spirit pour | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Through them the light, the light that I adore-- | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Then were my only grief all swept away, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| For thou wouldst join me in the realms of day! | 10 | ·········· |
| Else Heaven itself would have its bitterness, | 11 | ·/˘˘/···/˘˘ |
| Should I look down to witness thy distress! | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| O God, who lov'st the dust on which Thy breath | 10 | ·········· |
| Hath stamped Thine image true--save her from death! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| The only death that kills, and let my love | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| From Heaven woo her to the realms above! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Lord, hear my call! My inmost heart now see, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Who lives a Christian life must Christian be! | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Her nature god-like, stamped from print divine; | 10 | ·/˘·····˘/ |
| She must be sealed Thine own, yes, only Thine! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Say, must she burn, condemned to depths of hell?-- | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Thy Will be done--Who doest all things well! | 9 | ········· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| O wretch, what words are these? Thou dost desire---- | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| To snatch thee from a never-ending fire. | 11 | ·····/˘/˘/˘ |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Or else? | 2 | ·· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| O God, I trust to Thy control, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Who when we think not, canst illume the soul! | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| The when--the how--is His--here am I dumb,-- | 10 | ·········· |
| I wait--I wait--That blessed hour will come! | 10 | ······/˘·· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Oh, leave illusions! Love me! | 7 | ··˘/˘·· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Thee I love | 3 | ··· |
| Far more than self, but less than God above! | 10 | ·········· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| For love's dear sake, ah, listen to my prayer! | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| For love's dear sake--await the answer there! | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| To leave me here is naught! Thou wouldst seduce my soul! | 12 | ········˘/·· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Heaven is scarce Heaven for me, if thou reach not the goal. | 12 | /··/········ |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| O fancy-fooled! | 4 | ·/˘· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Nay, led by heavenly light! | 7 | ···/˘˘· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Thy faith is blindness! | 5 | ···/˘ |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Faith is more than sight! | 5 | ····· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Ah, death, strange rival to a wife's pure love! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| This world our rival with the joys above! | 10 | ··//˘····· |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Go, monster! woo thy death! Thou lov'dst me never! | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| POLY. | 2 | /˘ |
| Go, seek the world! and yet I love thee ever! | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| PAUL. | 1 | · |
| Yes, I will go--if absence bring relief-- | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.