To the Countesse of Bedford

John Donne (1572–1631) · 1633

iambic pentameter · heroic couplets · 60 lines · from Poems

Honour is so sublime perfection,And so refinde; that when God was aloneAnd creaturelesse at first, himselfe had none;

But as of the elements, these which wee tread,Produce all things with which wee'are joy'd or fed,And, those are barren both above our head:

So from low persons doth all honour flow;Kings, whom they would have honoured, to us show,And but direct our honour, not bestow.

For when from herbs the pure part must be wonneFrom grosse, by Stilling, this is better doneBy despis'd dung, then by the fire or Sunne.

Care not then, Madame,'how low your praysers lye;In labourers balads oft more pietyGod findes, then in Te Deums melodie.

And, ordinance rais'd on Towers, so many mileSend not their voice, nor last so long a whileAs fires from th'earths low vaults in Sicil Isle.

Should I say I liv'd darker then were true,Your radiation can all clouds subdue;But one,'tis best light to contemplate you.

You, for whose body God made better clay,Or tooke Soules stuffe such as shall late decay,Or such as needs small change at the last day.

This, as an Amber drop enwraps a Bee,Covering discovers your quicke Soule; that weMay in your through-shine front your hearts thoughts see.

You teach (though wee learne not) a thing unknowneTo our late times, the use of specular stone,Through which all things within without were shown.

Of such were Temples; so and of such you are;Beeing and seeming is your equall care,And vertues whole summe is but know and dare.

But as our Soules of growth and Soules of senseHave birthright of our reasons Soule, yet henceThey fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:

Natures first lesson, so, discretion,Must not grudge zeale a place, nor yet keepe none,Not banish it selfe, nor religion.

Discretion is a wisemans Soule, and soReligion is a Christians, and you knowHow these are one; her yea, is not her no.

Nor may we hope to sodder still and knitThese two, and dare to breake them; nor must witBe colleague to religion, but be it.

In those poor types of God (round circles) soReligions tipes the peeclesse centers flow,And are in all the lines which all wayes goe.

If either ever wrought in you aloneOr principally, then religionWrought your ends, and your wayes discretion.

Goe thither stil, goe the same way you went,Who so would change, do covet or repent;Neither can reach you, great and innocent.

They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:Natures first lesson, so, discretion, &c.

They fly not from that, nor seek precedence,Natures first lesson; so discretion &c.

'twas Religion,Yet you neglected not Discretion.

Words in this poem 15

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.]
wonne v. i.: To dwell or abide. [See 1st Wone.]
grosse n.: A heavy silk with a dull finish; as, gros de Naples; gros de Tours. [F. See Gross.]
madame n.: My lady; -- a French title formerly given to ladies of quality; now, in France, given to all married women. [F., fr. ma my (L. mea) + dame dame. See Dame, and cf. Madonna.]
ordinance n.: Orderly arrangement; preparation; provision. [OE. ordenance, OF. ordenance, F. ordonnance. See Ordain, and cf. Ordnance, Ordonnance.]
isle v. t.: To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass; to island.
contemplate v. t.: To look at on all sides or in all its bearings; to view or consider with continued attention; to regard with deliberate care; to meditate on; to study. [L. contemplatus, p.p. of contemplari to contemplate; con- + templum a space for observation marked out by the augur. See Temple.]
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,]
needs adv.: Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; -- often with must, and equivalent to of need. [Orig. gen. of need, used as an adverb. Cf. - wards.]
specular a.: Having the qualities of a speculum, or mirror; having a smooth, reflecting surface; as, a specular metal; a specular surface. [L. specularis (cf., from the same root, specula a lookout, watchtower): cf. F. spéculaire. See Speculum.]
summe n.: The aggregate of two or more numbers, magnitudes, quantities, or particulars; the amount or whole of any number of individuals or particulars added together; as, the sum of 5 and 7 is 12. [OE. summe, somme, OF. sume, some, F. somme, L. summa, fr. summus highest, a superlative from sub under. See Sub-, and cf. Supreme.]
discretion n.: Disjunction; separation. Mede. [F. discrétion, L. discretio separation, difference, discernment, fr. discernere, discretum. See Discreet, Discern.]
colleague n.: A partner or associate in some civil or ecclesiastical office or employment. It is never used of partners in trade or manufactures. [F. coll*gue, L. collega one chosen at the same time with another, a partner in office; col- + legare to send or choose as deputy. See Legate.]
went n.: Course; way; path; journey; direction.
repent a.: Prostrate and rooting; -- said of stems. Gray. [L. repens, -entis, creeping, p. pr. of repere to creep.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

To the Countesse of Bedford 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, To the Countesse of Bedford, in Poems (1633), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #48688, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/donne-poems/to-the-countesse-of-bedford-2.html, id L19913.

Form and metre

To the Countesse of Bedford is 60 lines in 21 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 57% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 82%). 92% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.1 syllables. 16 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 26% 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 AAA perfection^A · alone^A · none^A
2 AAA tread^A · fed^A · head^A
3 AAA flow^A · show^A · bestow^A
4 AAA wonne^A · done^A · sunne^A
6 AAA mile^A · while^A · isle^A
7 AAA true^A · subdue^A · you^A
8 AAA clay^A · decay^A · day^A
9 AAA bee^A · we^A · see^A
10 AAA unknowne^A · stone^A · shown^A
11 AAA are^A · care^A · dare^A
12 AAA sense^A · hence^A · presidence^A
13 AAA discretion^A · none^A · religion^A
14 AAA so^A · know^A · no^A
15 AAA knit^A · wit^A · it^A
16 AAA so^A · flow^A · goe^A
17 AAA alone^A · religion^A · discretion^A
18 AAA went^A · repent^A · innocent^A

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
Honour is so sublime perfection,	9	/˘··˘/˘/˘
And so refinde; that when God was alone	10	········˘/
And creaturelesse at first, himselfe had none;	11	···········
But as of the elements, these which wee tread,	10	····/˘····
Produce all things with which wee'are joy'd or fed,	10	˘/········
And, those are barren both above our head:	10	···/˘···/·
So from low persons doth all honour flow;	10	···/˘··/˘·
Kings, whom they would have honoured, to us show,	10	·····/˘···
And but direct our honour, not bestow.	10	··˘///˘·˘/
For when from herbs the pure part must be wonne	10	··········
From grosse, by Stilling, this is better done	10	···/˘··/˘·
By despis'd dung, then by the fire or Sunne.	10	·˘/····/··
Care not then, Madame,'how low your praysers lye;	11	···/˘······
In labourers balads oft more piety	11	········/˘˘
God findes, then in Te Deums melodie.	9	·········
And, ordinance rais'd on Towers, so many mile	10	·/˘˘··/·/·
Send not their voice, nor last so long a while	10	··········
As fires from th'earths low vaults in Sicil Isle.	10	·/········
Should I say I liv'd darker then were true,	10	·····/˘···
Your radiation can all clouds subdue;	10	··˘/˘···˘/
But one,'tis best light to contemplate you.	10	······/˘··
You, for whose body God made better clay,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Or tooke Soules stuffe such as shall late decay,	10	········˘/
Or such as needs small change at the last day.	10	··········
This, as an Amber drop enwraps a Bee,	10	···/˘·····
Covering discovers your quicke Soule; that we	10	/˘˘/˘·····
May in your through-shine front your hearts thoughts see.	10	··········
You teach (though wee learne not) a thing unknowne	10	··········
To our late times, the use of specular stone,	11	·/·····/˘˘·
Through which all things within without were shown.	10	··········
Of such were Temples; so and of such you are;	11	···/˘······
Beeing and seeming is your equall care,	9	··/˘··/˘·
And vertues whole summe is but know and dare.	10	··········
But as our Soules of growth and Soules of sense	10	··/·······
Have birthright of our reasons Soule, yet hence	10	·/··//˘···
They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:	10	·······/˘˘
Natures first lesson, so, discretion,	9	/˘·/˘·˘/˘
Must not grudge zeale a place, nor yet keepe none,	11	···········
Not banish it selfe, nor religion.	9	·/˘···˘/˘
Discretion is a wisemans Soule, and so	10	˘/˘··/˘···
Religion is a Christians, and you know	10	˘/˘··/˘···
How these are one; her yea, is not her no.	10	··········
Nor may we hope to sodder still and knit	10	··········
These two, and dare to breake them; nor must wit	10	··········
Be colleague to religion, but be it.	10	·/˘·˘/˘···
In those poor types of God (round circles) so	10	·······/˘·
Religions tipes the peeclesse centers flow,	10	˘/˘····/˘·
And are in all the lines which all wayes goe.	10	··········
If either ever wrought in you alone	10	·/˘/˘···˘/
Or principally, then religion	8	·/˘˘·˘/˘
Wrought your ends, and your wayes discretion.	9	······˘/˘
Goe thither stil, goe the same way you went,	10	·/˘·······
Who so would change, do covet or repent;	10	·····/˘·˘/
Neither can reach you, great and innocent.	10	/˘·····/˘˘
They fly not from that, nor seeke presidence:	10	·······/˘˘
Natures first lesson, so, discretion, &c.	10	/˘·/˘·˘/˘·
They fly not from that, nor seek precedence,	10	·······/˘˘
Natures first lesson; so discretion &c.	10	/˘·/˘·˘/˘·
'twas Religion,	4	·˘/˘
Yet you neglected not Discretion.	9	··˘/˘·˘/˘

Notes from the edition 12

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 4, line 1 part] parts N, O'F, TCD
Stanza 4, line 3 or Sunne. 1633, B, N, O'F, S96, TCD: or Sun: 1669: of Sunne: 1635-54, Chambers
Stanza 5, line 1 praysers N, O'F, TCD: prayers S96: prayses 1633-69
Stanza 6, line 1 Towers,] Towers 1633
Stanza 7, line 2 subdue; But one, Ed: subdue; But One Chambers: subdue, But one, 1633-69: subdue But one; Grolier and Grosart. See note
Stanza 9, line 2 Covering discovers] Coverings discover 1669
Stanza 9, line 3 your hearts thoughts B, N, O'F, S96, TCD: our hearts thoughts 1633-69. See note
Stanza 11, line 1 so and of such N, TCD: so and such 1633-69, B, O'F, S96
Stanza 11, line 3 is but to know and dare. N
Stanza 14, line 3 one; Ed: one, 1633-69 yea, ... no] ital. Ed.
Stanza 16, line 3 all wayes 1719: alwayes 1633-69
Stanza 18, line 2 do covet] doth covet 1669, O'F, S96

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