And I will pledge with mine ;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I'll not look for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise,
Doth ask a drink divine :
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee, late, a rosy wreath,
Not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not wither'd be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent'st it back to me :
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee.
Recently, I covered this poem with my Brit Lit class. I wasn't surprised that few students already knew the words, but I was disappointed that none of the students knew the traditional tune that goes with those words. That tune was one of the first that I learned to play on the piano. Maybe piano method books no longer include that tune?
ReplyDeleteHey, it was the first song that Johnny Cash ever sang in public, also. But who studies music anymore. The quadrivium has passed from 'style'.
ReplyDelete