Additional Lines.>
Nature amaz'd sawe man without mans aydeBorne of a mother nursed by her a mayd,The child the Parent was, the worke the word,No word till then did such a worke affoord.Twas lesse from nothing the world's all to groweThen all-Creators height to stoope so lowe.A virgin mother to a child bredd wonder,T'was more a child should bee the God of thunder.Th'omnipotent was strangely potent heereTo make the powerfull God pearelesse appeare.Hee in our body cladd, for our soules loveCame downe to us, yet stay'd vnchanged above.Yet God through man shind still in this cleere brooke,Through meane shewes into maiesty wee looke.Sinnes price seemd payd with brasse, fewe sawe the gold,Yet true stones set in lead theyr lustre hold.His birth though poore, Prophets foretold his story,Hee breathd with beasts, but Angels sung his glory.Hee, so farr of, so weake, yet Herod quakes,The citty dreads, babes, murderd, feare mistakes.His Circumcision bore sinne, payne, and shame,Young bloud new budd, hence bloomd a sauiours name.His paynes and passion bredd compassion, wonder;Earth trembling, heavens darke, rocks rent asunder.His birth, life, death, his words, his workes, his faceShewd a rich Jewell shining through the case,Cast thus, since man at gods high presence trembles.Heere man mans troth loves whome his sheepe resembles.The bright Sunne beame a sickly eye may di[~m]e,A little babe in shallow heart may swiHee heavens wealth to a poore stable brings,Th'oxestall the Court unto the king of kings.No Shadowes now nor lightning flames give terror.This light tells with our tongue, and beares or error.Pure infant teares, moist pearle adornd his cheeke,Assignd, ere borne, our erring soules to seeke.Hee first wept teares, then bloud, a deare redemption;This bought what Adam sould, that seemd preemption.Cleare droppe, deare seede, the corne had bloudy eares,Rich harvest reapd in bloud and sowne in teares.Who this Corne in theyr hart nor thresh, nor lay,Breake for sinnes debt, unthrifty never pay.Use wealth, it wastes, a stayd hand heapes the store,But this the more wee use wee have the more;Use, not like usury whose growth is lending,Rich thoughts this treasure keepe and thrive by spending;Th'expense runnes circular, turning returning,Such love no hart consumes, yet ever burning.
Chast Love, let mee embrace thee in mine armesWithout the thought of lust. From thence no harmesEnsue, no discontent attende those deedsSo innocently good wch thy love breeds.Th'approche of day brings to thy sence no feares,Nor is the black nights worke washd in thy teares;Thou takst no care to keepe thy lover true,Nor yet by flighte, nor fond inventions newTo hold him in, who with like flame of loveMust move his spirit too, as thine doth move;wch ever mounts aloft with golden wingsAnd not declines to lowe despised things.Thy soule is bodyd within thy quiet brestIn safety, free from trouble and unrest.Thou fearst no ill because thou dost no ill,Like mistress of thy selfe, thy thought, and will,Obey thy mind, a mind for ever suchAs all may prayse, but none admire too much.Then come, Chast Love, choyse part of womankindInfuse chast thoughts into my loving mind.
Cruell since that thou dost not feare the curseWch thy disdayne, and my despayre procure,My prayer for thee shall torment thee worseThen all the payne thou coudst thereby endure.May, then, that beauty wch I did conceaveIn thee above the height of heavens course,When first my Liberty thou didst bereave,Bee doubled on thee and with doubled force.Chayne thousand vassalls in like thrall with mee,Wch in thy glory mayst thou still despise,As the poore Trophyes of that victoryWhich thou hast onely purchasd by thine eyes;And when thy Triumphs so extended areThat there is nought left to bee conquered,Mayst thou with the great Monarchs mournfull careWeepe that thine Honors are so limited;So thy disdayne may melt it selfe to loveBy an unlookd for and a wondrous change,Wch to thy selfe above the rest must proveIn all th'effects of love paynefully strange,While wee thy scorned subjects live to seeThee love the whole world, none of it love thee.
Wonder of Beautie, Goddesse of my sense,You that have taught my soule to love aright,You in whose limbes are natures chief expenseFitt instrument to serve your matchless spright,If ever you have felt the miserieOf being banish'd from your best desier,By Absence, Time, or Fortunes tyranny,Sterving for cold, and yet denied for fier:Deare mistresse pittie then the like effectsThe which in mee your absence makes to flowe,And haste their ebb by your divine aspectIn which the pleasure of my life doth growe:Stay not so long for though it seem a wonderYou keepe my bodie and my soule asunder.
Words in this poem 34
- strangely adv.
- As something foreign, or not one's own; in a manner adapted to something foreign and strange.
- cladd v.
- To clothe. Holland.
- brasse n.
- A spotted European fish of the genus Lucioperca, resembling a perch. [Perh. a transposition of barse; but cf. LG. brasse the bream, G. brassen Cf. Bream.]
- lustre n.
- A period of five years; a lustrum. [L. lustrum: cf. F. lustre.]
- farr n.
- A young pig, or a litter of pigs. [See Farrow.]
- circumcision n.
- The act of cutting off the prepuce or foreskin of males, or the internal labia of females. [L. circumcisio.]
- sinne adv.
- Old form of Since. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.]
- budd n.
- A small protuberance on the stem or branches of a plant, containing the rudiments of future leaves, flowers, or stems; an undeveloped branch or flower. [OE. budde; cf. D. bot, G. butze, butz, the core of a fruit, bud, LG. butte in hagebutte, hainbutte, a hip of the dog-rose, or OF. boton, F. bouton, bud, button,]
- jewell n.
- An ornament of dress usually made of a precious metal, and having enamel or precious stones as a part of its design. [OE. juel, jowel, OF. jouel, juel, joiel, F. joyau, dim. of OF. joie joy, jewel, F. joie joy. See Joy.]
- troth n.
- Belief; faith; fidelity. [A variant of truth. See Truth.]
- babe n.
- An infant; a young child of either sex; a baby. [Cf. Ir. bab, baban, W. baban, maban.]
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- deare
- variant of Dere, v. t. & n.
- preemption n.
- The act or right of purchasing before others. Specifically: (a) The privilege or prerogative formerly enjoyed by the king of buying provisions for his household in preference to others. [Eng.] [Pref. pre- + emption: cf. F. préemption. See Redeem.]
- droppe n.
- The quantity of fluid which falls in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a drop of water. [OE. drope, AS. dropa; akin to OS. dropo, D. drop, OHG. tropo, G. tropfen, Icel. dropi, Sw. droppe; and Fr. AS. dreópan to drip, drop; akin to OS. driopan, D. dr]
- thresh v. t.
- To beat out grain from, as straw or husks; to beat the straw or husk of (grain) with a flail; to beat off, as the kernels of grain; as, to thrash wheat, rye, or oats; to thrash over the old straw. [OE. , , to beat, AS. , ; akin to D. dorschen, OD. derschen, G. dreschen, OHG. dreskan, Icel. , Sw. tröska, Dan. tærske, Goth. , Lith. traszketi to rattle, Russ.]
- unthrifty a.
- Not thrifty; profuse.
- usury n.
- A premium or increase paid, or stipulated to be paid, for a loan, as of money; interest. [OE. usurie, usure, F. usure, L. usura use, usury, interest, fr. uti, p. p. usus, to use. See Use, v. t.]
- spending n.
- The act of expending; expenditure. Spending money, money set apart for extra (not necessary) personal expenses; pocket money.
- lust v. i.
- To list; to like. [AS. lystan. See Lust, n., and cf. List to choose.]
- ensue v. t.
- To follow; to pursue; to follow and overtake. [OF. ensevre, OF. & F. ensuivre, fr. L. insequi; in + sequi to pursue. See Sue.]
- innocently adv.
- In an innocent manner.
- unrest n.
- Want of rest or repose; unquietness; sleeplessness; uneasiness; disquietude.
- admire v. t.
- To regard with wonder or astonishment; to view with surprise; to marvel at. [F. admirer, fr. L. admirari; ad + mirari to wonder, for smirari, akin to Gr. smi, and E. smile.]
- womankind n.
- The females of the human race; women, collectively.
- cruell a.
- Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.]
- 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,]
- didst
- , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
- despise v. t.
- To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of. [OF. despis-, in some forms of despire to despise, fr. L. despicere, despectum, to look down upon, despise; de- + spicere, specere, to look. See Spy, and cf. Des]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- mournfull a.
- Full of sorrow; expressing, or intended to express, sorrow; mourning; grieving; sad; also, causing sorrow; saddening; grievous; as, a mournful person; mournful looks, tones, loss.
- wondrous adv.
- In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). See Wonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
- aright adv.
- Rightly; correctly; in a right way or form; without mistake or crime; as, to worship God aright. [Pref. a- + right.]
- spright n.
- Spirit; mind; soul; state of mind; mood. [See Sprite.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Additional Lines.> is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1 (of 2) Edited from the Old Editions and Numerous Manuscripts, Project Gutenberg ebook #48688; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: John Donne, Additional Lines.>, in Poems (1633), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #48688, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/donne-poems/additional-lines.html, id L05057.
Form and metre
Additional Lines.> is 104 lines in 4 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 62% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%). 96% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.2 syllables. 23 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 28% 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--BBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLLMM--NNOOPPQQ--RRSSTTUU aydeA · maydA · word · affoord · groweB · loweB · wonderC · thunderC · heereD · appeareD · loveE · aboveE · brookeF · lookeF · goldG · holdG · storyH · gloryH · quakesI · mistakesI · shameJ · nameJ · wonderK · asunderK · faceL · caseL · tremblesM · resemblesM · di[~m]e · swi · bringsN · kingsN · terrorO · errorO · cheekeP · seekeP · redemptionQ · preemptionQ · eares · teares · layR · payR · storeS · moreS · lendingT · spendingT · returningU · burningU
- 2 AABB--CCDDEEFFGGHHII armesA · harmesA · deedsB · breedsB · feares · teares · trueC · newC · loveD · moveD · wingsE · thingsE · brestF · unrestF · illG · willG · suchH · muchH · womankindI · mindI
- 3 ABABCDCDEF-F----GHGHEE curseA · procureB · worseA · endureB · conceaveC · courseD · bereaveC · forceD · meeE · despiseF · victory · eyesF · are · conquered · care · limited · loveG · changeH · proveG · strangeH · seeE · theeE
- 4 ABAB-C-C-D-DEE senseA · arightB · expenseA · sprightB · miserie · desierC · tyranny · fierC · effects · floweD · aspect · groweD · wonderE · asunderE
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nature amaz'd sawe man without mans ayde | 10 | /˘˘/······ |
| Borne of a mother nursed by her a mayd, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| The child the Parent was, the worke the word, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| No word till then did such a worke affoord. | 10 | ·········· |
| Twas lesse from nothing the world's all to growe | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Then all-Creators height to stoope so lowe. | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| A virgin mother to a child bredd wonder, | 11 | ·/˘/˘····/˘ |
| T'was more a child should bee the God of thunder. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Th'omnipotent was strangely potent heere | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| To make the powerfull God pearelesse appeare. | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| Hee in our body cladd, for our soules love | 10 | ··//˘··/·· |
| Came downe to us, yet stay'd vnchanged above. | 10 | ·······˘·· |
| Yet God through man shind still in this cleere brooke, | 10 | ·········· |
| Through meane shewes into maiesty wee looke. | 9 | ········· |
| Sinnes price seemd payd with brasse, fewe sawe the gold, | 10 | ·········· |
| Yet true stones set in lead theyr lustre hold. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| His birth though poore, Prophets foretold his story, | 11 | ····/˘˘/·/˘ |
| Hee breathd with beasts, but Angels sung his glory. | 11 | ·····/˘··/˘ |
| Hee, so farr of, so weake, yet Herod quakes, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The citty dreads, babes, murderd, feare mistakes. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| His Circumcision bore sinne, payne, and shame, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Young bloud new budd, hence bloomd a sauiours name. | 9 | ········· |
| His paynes and passion bredd compassion, wonder; | 11 | ···/˘·˘/˘/˘ |
| Earth trembling, heavens darke, rocks rent asunder. | 11 | ·/˘/˘···˘/˘ |
| His birth, life, death, his words, his workes, his face | 10 | ·········· |
| Shewd a rich Jewell shining through the case, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Cast thus, since man at gods high presence trembles. | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| Heere man mans troth loves whome his sheepe resembles. | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| The bright Sunne beame a sickly eye may di[~m]e, | 12 | ·····/˘····· |
| A little babe in shallow heart may swi | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Hee heavens wealth to a poore stable brings, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Th'oxestall the Court unto the king of kings. | 11 | ··········· |
| No Shadowes now nor lightning flames give terror. | 11 | ·/···/˘··/˘ |
| This light tells with our tongue, and beares or error. | 11 | ····/····/˘ |
| Pure infant teares, moist pearle adornd his cheeke, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Assignd, ere borne, our erring soules to seeke. | 10 | ····//˘··· |
| Hee first wept teares, then bloud, a deare redemption; | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| This bought what Adam sould, that seemd preemption. | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| Cleare droppe, deare seede, the corne had bloudy eares, | 10 | ·········· |
| Rich harvest reapd in bloud and sowne in teares. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Who this Corne in theyr hart nor thresh, nor lay, | 10 | ·········· |
| Breake for sinnes debt, unthrifty never pay. | 10 | ····˘/˘/˘· |
| Use wealth, it wastes, a stayd hand heapes the store, | 10 | ·········· |
| But this the more wee use wee have the more; | 10 | ·········· |
| Use, not like usury whose growth is lending, | 11 | ···/˘˘···/˘ |
| Rich thoughts this treasure keepe and thrive by spending; | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| Th'expense runnes circular, turning returning, | 11 | ···/˘˘/˘˘/˘ |
| Such love no hart consumes, yet ever burning. | 11 | ····˘/·/˘/˘ |
| Chast Love, let mee embrace thee in mine armes | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Without the thought of lust. From thence no harmes | 10 | ·········· |
| Ensue, no discontent attende those deeds | 10 | ˘/·˘˘/···· |
| So innocently good wch thy love breeds. | 10 | ·/˘˘˘····· |
| Th'approche of day brings to thy sence no feares, | 10 | ·········· |
| Nor is the black nights worke washd in thy teares; | 10 | ·········· |
| Thou takst no care to keepe thy lover true, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Nor yet by flighte, nor fond inventions new | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| To hold him in, who with like flame of love | 10 | ·········· |
| Must move his spirit too, as thine doth move; | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| wch ever mounts aloft with golden wings | 10 | ·/˘·˘/·/˘· |
| And not declines to lowe despised things. | 10 | ··˘/··˘/˘· |
| Thy soule is bodyd within thy quiet brest | 10 | ········/· |
| In safety, free from trouble and unrest. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| Thou fearst no ill because thou dost no ill, | 10 | ·········· |
| Like mistress of thy selfe, thy thought, and will, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Obey thy mind, a mind for ever such | 10 | ˘/·····/˘· |
| As all may prayse, but none admire too much. | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Then come, Chast Love, choyse part of womankind | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Infuse chast thoughts into my loving mind. | 10 | ˘/·····/˘· |
| Cruell since that thou dost not feare the curse | 10 | /˘········ |
| Wch thy disdayne, and my despayre procure, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| My prayer for thee shall torment thee worse | 9 | ·····/··· |
| Then all the payne thou coudst thereby endure. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| May, then, that beauty wch I did conceave | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| In thee above the height of heavens course, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| When first my Liberty thou didst bereave, | 10 | ···/˘˘··˘/ |
| Bee doubled on thee and with doubled force. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Chayne thousand vassalls in like thrall with mee, | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| Wch in thy glory mayst thou still despise, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| As the poore Trophyes of that victory | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| Which thou hast onely purchasd by thine eyes; | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| And when thy Triumphs so extended are | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| That there is nought left to bee conquered, | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Mayst thou with the great Monarchs mournfull care | 10 | ·····/·/˘· |
| Weepe that thine Honors are so limited; | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| So thy disdayne may melt it selfe to love | 10 | ·········· |
| By an unlookd for and a wondrous change, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Wch to thy selfe above the rest must prove | 10 | ·········· |
| In all th'effects of love paynefully strange, | 11 | ··········· |
| While wee thy scorned subjects live to see | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| Thee love the whole world, none of it love thee. | 10 | ·········· |
| Wonder of Beautie, Goddesse of my sense, | 10 | /˘········ |
| You that have taught my soule to love aright, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| You in whose limbes are natures chief expense | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Fitt instrument to serve your matchless spright, | 10 | ·/˘˘···/˘· |
| If ever you have felt the miserie | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Of being banish'd from your best desier, | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| By Absence, Time, or Fortunes tyranny, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘˘ |
| Sterving for cold, and yet denied for fier: | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Deare mistresse pittie then the like effects | 10 | ········˘/ |
| The which in mee your absence makes to flowe, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And haste their ebb by your divine aspect | 10 | ······˘//· |
| In which the pleasure of my life doth growe: | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Stay not so long for though it seem a wonder | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| You keepe my bodie and my soule asunder. | 11 | ···/˘···˘/˘ |
Notes from the edition 26
Herbert Grierson's record of the readings of the early editions and manuscripts, from his Poems of John Donne (Oxford, 1912; Project Gutenberg #48688).
- Stanza 1, line 2 a mayd] Norton supplies a mayd, Ed: mayd O'F
- Stanza 1, line 3 was,... word, Ed: no commas, O'F
- Stanza 1, line 6 lowe. Ed: lowe O'F
- Stanza 1, line 7 wonder, Ed: wonder O'F
- Stanza 1, line 8 thunder. Ed: thunder O'F
- Stanza 1, line 9 in, Ed: in O'F
- Stanza 1, line 13 brooke, Ed: brooke O'F
- Stanza 1, line 21 shame, Ed: shame O'F
- Stanza 1, line 23 wonder; Ed: wonder O'F
- Stanza 1, line 24 trembling, Ed: trembling O'F
- Stanza 1, line 26 case, Ed: case O'F
- Stanza 1, line 27 trembles. Ed: trembles O'F
- Stanza 1, line 28 resembles. Ed: resẽbles O'F
- Stanza 1, line 29 di[~m]e, Ed: di[~m]e O'F
- Stanza 1, line 31 brings, Ed: brings O'F
- Stanza 1, line 35 cheeke, Ed: cheeke O'F
- Stanza 1, line 37 redemption; Ed: redemption O'F
- Stanza 1, line 38 preemption. Ed: preemption O'F
- Stanza 1, line 39 eares, Ed: eares O'F
- Stanza 1, line 41 lay, Ed: lay O'F
- Stanza 1, line 43 store, Ed: store O'F
- Stanza 1, line 44 more; Ed: more O'F
- Stanza 1, line 45 Use, ... lending, Ed: no commas, O'F
- Stanza 1, line 46 spending; Ed: spending O'F
- Stanza 1, line 47 returning, Ed: returning O'F
- Stanza 1, line 48 consumes, Ed: consumes O'F
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.