NormanH Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 For midnight on the shortest night of the year.John Donne of whom I was reminded in another thread, wrote this great 'Nocturnal' as an expression of mourning and depression, using midnight on the 'midnight' of the year as the expression of the gloomiest possible moment in the dark night of the soul. A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's DayBy John Donne 'Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk; The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interr'd; yet all these seem to laugh, Compar'd with me, who am their epitaph. Study me then, you who shall lovers be At the next world, that is, at the next spring; For I am every dead thing, In whom Love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness; He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death: things which are not. All others, from all things, draw all that's good, Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have; I, by Love's limbec, am the grave Of all that's nothing. Oft a flood Have we two wept, and so Drown'd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow To be two chaoses, when we did show Care to aught else; and often absences Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses. But I am by her death (which word wrongs her) Of the first nothing the elixir grown; Were I a man, that I were one I needs must know; I should prefer, If I were any beast, Some ends, some means; yea plants, yea stones detest, And love; all, all some properties invest; If I an ordinary nothing were, As shadow, a light and body must be here. But I am none; nor will my sun renew. You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun At this time to the Goat is run To fetch new lust, and give it you, Enjoy your summer all; Since she enjoys her long night's festival, Let me prepare towards her, and let me call This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this Both the year's, and the day's deep midnight is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Lovely poem but isn't it for the shortest day of the year? (or longest night if you prefer)Unusually, the Winter Solstice is (was) on 22nd December this year, 0530 GMT, so now the days are getting longer [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 Absolutely right Pierre...my mistake [:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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