Internet Shakespeare Editions

About this text

  • Title: Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1593)
  • Editor: Hardy M. Cook
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-411-0

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Hardy M. Cook
    Peer Reviewed

    Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1593)

    With this he breaketh from the sweet embrace,
    Of those faire armes which bound him to her brest,
    And homeward through the dark lawnd runs apace,
    Leaues loue vpon her backe, deeply distrest,
    815 Looke how a bright star shooteth from the skye;
    So glides he in the night from Venus eye.
    Which after him she dartes, as one on shore
    Gazing vpon a late embarked friend,
    Till the wilde waues will haue him seene no more,
    820Whose ridges with the meeting cloudes contend:
    So did the mercilesse, and pitchie night,
    Fold in the obiect that did feed her sight.
    Whereat amas'd as one that vnaware,
    Hath dropt a precious iewell in the flood,
    825Or stonisht, as night wandrers often are,
    Their light blowne out in some mistrustfull wood;
    Euen so confounded in the darke she lay,
    Hauing lost the faire discouerie of her way.
    And now she beates her heart, whereat it grones,
    830That all the neighbour caues as seeming troubled,
    Make verball repetition of her mones,
    Passion on passion, deeply is redoubled,
    Ay me, she cries, and twentie times, wo, wo,
    And twentie ecchoes, twentie times crie so,
    835She marking them, begins a wailing note,
    And sings extemporally a wofull dittie,
    How loue makes yong-men thrall, & old men dote,
    How loue is wise in follie, foolish wittie:
    Her heauie antheme still concludes in wo,
    840 And still the quier of ecchoes answer so.