Probably by Henry Constable
In that, ô Queene of Queenes, thy birth was freeFrom that which others doth of grace bereave,When in their mothers wombe they life receive,God, as his sole-borne daughter loved thee.
To match thee like thy births nobilitie,He thee his Spirit for thy spouse did leave,By whom thou didst his onely sonne conceive,And so wast link'd to all the Trinitie.
Cease then, ô Queenes, that earthly Crownes doe weare,To glory in the Pompe of earthly things;If men such high respects unto you beare,Which daughters, wives, and mothers are to Kings,What honour can unto that Queene be doneWho had your God for Father, Spouse and Sonne?
Words in this poem
- spouse v. t.
- To wed; to espouse. [See Espouse, and Spouse, n.]
- didst
- , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
- sonne n.
- A male child; the male issue, or offspring, of a parent, father or mother. [OE. sone, sune, AS. sunu; akin to D. zoon, OS., OFries., & OHG. sunu, G. sohn, Icel. sonr, Sw. son, Dan. sön, Goth. sunus, Lith. sunus, Russ. suin', Skr. sunu (]
- wast
- The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense; -- now used only in solemn or poetical style.
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Probably by Henry Constable 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, Probably by Henry Constable, in Poems (1633), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #48688, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/donne-poems/probably-by-henry-constable.html, id L05043.
Form and metre
Probably by Henry Constable is 14 lines in 3 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is ABBA, complete in 2 of its 3 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 94%). 100% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.9 syllables. 14% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See 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 ABBA freeA · bereaveB · receiveB · theeA
- 2 ABBA nobilitieA · leaveB · conceiveB · trinitieA
- 3 ABAB-- weareA · thingsB · beareA · kingsB · done · sonne
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 |
|---|---|---|
| In that, ô Queene of Queenes, thy birth was free | 9 | ········· |
| From that which others doth of grace bereave, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| When in their mothers wombe they life receive, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| God, as his sole-borne daughter loved thee. | 10 | ·····/˘·˘· |
| To match thee like thy births nobilitie, | 10 | ·········· |
| He thee his Spirit for thy spouse did leave, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| By whom thou didst his onely sonne conceive, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| And so wast link'd to all the Trinitie. | 10 | ·········· |
| Cease then, ô Queenes, that earthly Crownes doe weare, | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| To glory in the Pompe of earthly things; | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| If men such high respects unto you beare, | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Which daughters, wives, and mothers are to Kings, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| What honour can unto that Queene be done | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Who had your God for Father, Spouse and Sonne? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
Notes from the edition 1
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 2, line 2 thy spouse A10, B: his spouse 1635-69
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