Venus and Adonis (Modern)
Peer Reviewed
¶"Hard-favored tyrant, ugly, meager, lean,
¶Hateful divorce of love," thus chides she death.
¶"Grim-grinning ghost, earth's worm, what dost thou mean
¶To stifle beauty and to steal his breath,
935_Who, when he lived, his breath and beauty set
¶_Gloss on the rose, smell to the violet?
¶"If he be dead, O no, it cannot be,
¶Seeing his beauty, thou shouldst strike at it.
¶O yes, it may; thou hast no eyes to see,
940But hatefully at random dost thou hit.
¶_Thy mark is feeble age, but thy false dart
¶_Mistakes that aim and cleaves an infant's heart.
¶"Hadst thou but bid beware, then he had spoke,
¶And, hearing him, thy power had lost his power.
945The destinies will curse thee for this stroke.
¶They bid thee crop a weed; thou pluck'st a flower.
¶_Love's golden arrow at him should have fled,
¶_And not death's ebon dart to strike him dead.
