M. Crashaw's Answer for Hope
Dear Hope! Earth's dowry, and Heaun's debt!The entity of things that are not yet.Subtlest, but surest beeing! thou by whomOur nothing has a definition!Substantiall shade! whose sweet allayBlends both the noones of Night and Day:Fates cannot find out a capacityOf hurting thee.From thee their lean dilemma, with blunt horn,Shrinkes, as the sick moon from the wholsome morn.
Rich hope! Loue's legacy, vnder lockOf Faith! still spending, and still growing stock!Our crown-land lyes aboue, yet each meal bringsA seemly portion for the sonnes of kings.Nor will the virgin ioyes we wedCome lesse vnbroken to our bed,Because that from the bridall cheek of BlisseThou steal'st vs down a distant kisse.Hope's chast stealth harmes no more Ioye's maidenheadThen spousal rites preiudge the marriage bed.Fair hope! Our earlyer Heau'n! by theeYoung Time is taster to Eternity:Thy generous wine with age growes strong, not sowre,Nor does it kill thy fruit, to smell thy flowre.Thy golden, growing head neuer hangs downTill in the lappe of Loue's full nooneIt falls; and dyes! O no, it melts awayAs doth the dawn into the Day:As lumpes of sugar loose themselues, and twineTheir subtile essence with the soul of wine.
Fortune? alas, aboue the World's low warresHope walks; and kickes the curld heads of conspiring starres.Her keel cutts not the waues where these winds stirr,Fortune's whole lottery is one blank to her.Her shafts and shee, fly farre above,And forage in the fields of light and love.Sweet Hope! kind cheat! fair fallacy! by theeWe are not where nor what we be,But what and where we would be. Thus art thouOur absent presence, and our future now.
Faith's sister! nurse of fair desire!Fear's antidote! a wise and well-stay'd fire!Temper 'twixt chill Despair, and torrid Ioy!Queen regent in yonge Loue's minority!Though the vext chymick vainly chasesHis fugitiue gold through all her faces;Though Loue's more feirce, more fruitlesse, fires assay:One face more fugitiue then all they;True Hope's a glorious huntresse, and her chase,The God of Nature in the feilds of grace.
Words in this poem 18
- dowry n.
- A gift; endowment. [Contr. from dowery; cf. LL. dotarium. See Dower.]
- substantiall a.
- Belonging to substance; actually existing; real; as, substantial life. [F. substantiel, L. substantialis.]
- dilemma n.
- An argument which presents an antagonist with two or more alternatives, but is equally conclusive against him, whichever alternative he chooses. [L. dilemma, Gr. Lemma.]
- morn n.
- The first part of the day; the morning; -- used chiefly in poetry. [OE. morwen, morgen, AS. morgen; akin to D. morgen, OS. morgan, G. morgen, Icel. morginn, morgunn, Sw. morgon, Dan. morgen, Goth. maúrgins. Cf. Morrow, Morning.]
- spending n.
- The act of expending; expenditure. Spending money, money set apart for extra (not necessary) personal expenses; pocket money.
- bridall a.
- Of or pertaining to a bride, or to wedding; nuptial; as, bridal ornaments; a bridal outfit; a bridal chamber. [From Bride. Cf. Bridal, n.]
- stealth n.
- The act of stealing; theft. [OE. staple. See Steal, v. t.]
- maidenhead n.
- The state of being a maiden; maidenhood; virginity. [See Maidenhood.]
- spousal a.
- Of or pertaining to a spouse or marriage; nuptial; matrimonial; conjugal; bridal; as, spousal rites; spousal ornaments. [See Espousal, Sponsal, and Spouse.]
- taster n.
- One who tastes; especially, one who first tastes food or drink to ascertain its quality.
- generous a.
- Of honorable birth or origin; highborn. [F. généreux, fr. L. generous of noble birth, noble, excellent, magnanimous, fr. genus birth, race: cf. It. generoso. See 2d Gender.]
- sowre n.
- One who, or that which, sows.
- flowre n.
- In the popular sense, the bloom or blossom of a plant; the showy portion, usually of a different color, shape, and texture from the foliage. [OE. flour, OF. flour, flur, flor, F. fleur, fr. L. flos, floris. Cf. Blossom, Effloresce, Floret, Florid, Florin, Flour, Flourish.]
- lappe n.
- The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron. [OE. lappe, AS. læppa; akin to D. lap patch, piece, G. lappen, OHG. lappa, Dan. lap, Sw. lapp.]
- stirr v. t.
- To change the place of in any manner; to move. [OE. stiren, steren, sturen, AS. styrian; probably akin to D. storen to disturb, G. stören, OHG. storen to scatter, destroy. *166.]
- farre n.
- A young pig, or a litter of pigs. [See Farrow.]
- minority n.
- The state of being a minor, or under age. [Cf. F. minorité. See Minor, a. & n.]
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
M. Crashaw's Answer for Hope is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume I, Project Gutenberg ebook #38549; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Richard Crashaw, M. Crashaw's Answer for Hope, in Steps to the Temple and Other Poems (1646–1652), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #38549, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/crashaw-poems/m-crashaw-s-answer-for-hope.html, id L12088.
Form and metre
M. Crashaw's Answer for Hope is 50 lines in 4 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 68% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 81%). 91% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.4 syllables. 12 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 34% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
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 AA--BB--CC debtA · yetA · whom · definition · allayB · dayB · capacity · thee · hornC · mornC
- 2 AABBCCDDCC------EEFF lockA · stockA · bringsB · kingsB · wedC · bedC · blisseD · kisseD · maidenheadC · bedC · thee · eternity · sowre · flowre · down · noone · awayE · dayE · twineF · wineF
- 3 --AABBCCDD warres · starres · stirrA · herA · aboveB · loveB · theeC · beC · thouD · nowD
- 4 AA--BB--CC desireA · fireA · ioy · minority · chasesB · facesB · assay · they · chaseC · graceC
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Hope! Earth's dowry, and Heaun's debt! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| The entity of things that are not yet. | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| Subtlest, but surest beeing! thou by whom | 10 | /˘˘·/˘···· |
| Our nothing has a definition! | 10 | /˘/˘···˘/˘ |
| Substantiall shade! whose sweet allay | 8 | ˘/˘···˘/ |
| Blends both the noones of Night and Day: | 8 | ········ |
| Fates cannot find out a capacity | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘˘ |
| Of hurting thee. | 4 | ·/˘· |
| From thee their lean dilemma, with blunt horn, | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| Shrinkes, as the sick moon from the wholsome morn. | 10 | ·········· |
| Rich hope! Loue's legacy, vnder lock | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| Of Faith! still spending, and still growing stock! | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Our crown-land lyes aboue, yet each meal brings | 10 | /˘········ |
| A seemly portion for the sonnes of kings. | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| Nor will the virgin ioyes we wed | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Come lesse vnbroken to our bed, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Because that from the bridall cheek of Blisse | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Thou steal'st vs down a distant kisse. | 9 | ··/˘··/˘· |
| Hope's chast stealth harmes no more Ioye's maidenhead | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Then spousal rites preiudge the marriage bed. | 9 | ·/˘···/˘· |
| Fair hope! Our earlyer Heau'n! by thee | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| Young Time is taster to Eternity: | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘˘ |
| Thy generous wine with age growes strong, not sowre, | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Nor does it kill thy fruit, to smell thy flowre. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Thy golden, growing head neuer hangs down | 10 | ·/˘/˘·/˘·· |
| Till in the lappe of Loue's full noone | 8 | ········ |
| It falls; and dyes! O no, it melts away | 10 | ········˘/ |
| As doth the dawn into the Day: | 8 | ········ |
| As lumpes of sugar loose themselues, and twine | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Their subtile essence with the soul of wine. | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| Fortune? alas, aboue the World's low warres | 9 | /˘˘/····· |
| Hope walks; and kickes the curld heads of conspiring starres. | 12 | ········˘/˘· |
| Her keel cutts not the waues where these winds stirr, | 10 | ·········· |
| Fortune's whole lottery is one blank to her. | 10 | /˘·/˘····· |
| Her shafts and shee, fly farre above, | 8 | ········ |
| And forage in the fields of light and love. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Sweet Hope! kind cheat! fair fallacy! by thee | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| We are not where nor what we be, | 8 | ········ |
| But what and where we would be. Thus art thou | 10 | ·········· |
| Our absent presence, and our future now. | 10 | //˘/˘·//˘· |
| Faith's sister! nurse of fair desire! | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| Fear's antidote! a wise and well-stay'd fire! | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Temper 'twixt chill Despair, and torrid Ioy! | 10 | /˘··˘/·/˘· |
| Queen regent in yonge Loue's minority! | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘˘ |
| Though the vext chymick vainly chases | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| His fugitiue gold through all her faces; | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Though Loue's more feirce, more fruitlesse, fires assay: | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| One face more fugitiue then all they; | 8 | ········ |
| True Hope's a glorious huntresse, and her chase, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| The God of Nature in the feilds of grace. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
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