A Renunciation
We, that did nothing study but the wayTo love each other, with which thoughts the dayRose with delight to us and with them set,Must learn the hateful art, how to forget.We, that did nothing wish that Heaven could giveBeyond ourselves, nor did desire to liveBeyond that wish, all these now cancel must,As if not writ in faith, but words and dust.Yet witness those clear vows which lovers make,Witness the chaste desires that never brakeInto unruly heats; witness that breastWhich in thy bosom anchor’d his whole rest--’Tis no default in us: I dare acquiteThy maiden faith, thy purpose fair and whiteAs thy pure self. Cross planets did envýUs to each other, and Heaven did untieFaster than vows could bind. Oh, that the stars,When lovers meet, should stand opposed in wars!
Since then some higher Destinies command,Let us not strive, nor labour to withstandWhat is past help. The longest date of griefCan never yield a hope of our relief:Fold back our arms; take home our fruitless loves,That must new fortunes try, like turtle-dovesDislodgèd from their haunts. We must in tearsUnwind a love knit up in many years.In this last kiss I here surrender theeBack to thyself.--So, thou again art free:Thou in another, sad as that, resendThe truest heart that lover e’er did lend.Now turn from each: so fare our sever’d heartsAs the divorced soul from her body parts.
Words in this poem
- hateful a.
- Manifesting hate or hatred; malignant; malevolent.
- fruitless a.
- Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless marriage.
- resend v. t.
- To send again; as, to resend a message.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
A Renunciation is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900, Project Gutenberg ebook #66619; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Henry King, Bishop of Chichester, A Renunciation, in Poems (1592–1669), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #66619, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/obev-henry-king-bishop-of-chichester/a-renunciation.html, id L16061.
Form and metre
A Renunciation is 32 lines in 2 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 87%). 93% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.9 syllables. 53% 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 AABBCCDDEEFF------ wayA · dayA · setB · forgetB · giveC · liveC · mustD · dustD · makeE · brakeE · breastF · restF · acquite · white · envý · untie · stars · wars
- 2 AABBCCDDEEFFGG commandA · withstandA · griefB · reliefB · lovesC · dovesC · tearsD · yearsD · theeE · freeE · resendF · lendF · heartsG · partsG
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 |
|---|---|---|
| We, that did nothing study but the way | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| To love each other, with which thoughts the day | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Rose with delight to us and with them set, | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Must learn the hateful art, how to forget. | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| We, that did nothing wish that Heaven could give | 10 | ···/˘··/·· |
| Beyond ourselves, nor did desire to live | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| Beyond that wish, all these now cancel must, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| As if not writ in faith, but words and dust. | 10 | ·········· |
| Yet witness those clear vows which lovers make, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Witness the chaste desires that never brake | 10 | /˘··˘/·/˘· |
| Into unruly heats; witness that breast | 10 | ··˘/˘·/˘·· |
| Which in thy bosom anchor’d his whole rest-- | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| ’Tis no default in us: I dare acquite | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Thy maiden faith, thy purpose fair and white | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| As thy pure self. Cross planets did envý | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| Us to each other, and Heaven did untie | 10 | ···/˘·/·˘/ |
| Faster than vows could bind. Oh, that the stars, | 10 | /˘········ |
| When lovers meet, should stand opposed in wars! | 10 | ·/˘···˘/·· |
| Since then some higher Destinies command, | 10 | ···/˘/˘˘˘/ |
| Let us not strive, nor labour to withstand | 10 | ·····/··˘/ |
| What is past help. The longest date of grief | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Can never yield a hope of our relief: | 10 | ·/····/˘˘/ |
| Fold back our arms; take home our fruitless loves, | 10 | ··/···//˘· |
| That must new fortunes try, like turtle-doves | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Dislodgèd from their haunts. We must in tears | 9 | ········· |
| Unwind a love knit up in many years. | 10 | ˘/·····/˘· |
| In this last kiss I here surrender thee | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Back to thyself.--So, thou again art free: | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| Thou in another, sad as that, resend | 10 | ··˘/˘···˘/ |
| The truest heart that lover e’er did lend. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Now turn from each: so fare our sever’d hearts | 10 | ······//˘· |
| As the divorced soul from her body parts. | 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.