MONDAY TRAVELS: TO CELIA by Ben Jonson

Happy Monday friends! Welcome to another edition of Monday Travels

So today we are in ENGLAND and we will explore:

TO CELIA

Let's get to know Ben Jonson:

Benjamin Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – 6 August 1637) was an English playwright, poet, actor, and literary critic, whose artistry exerted a lasting impact upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours. He is best known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone, or The Fox (c. 1606), The Alchemist (1610) and Bartholomew Fair (1614) and for his lyric and epigrammatic poetry; he is generally regarded as the second most important English playwright during the reign of James VI and I after William Shakespeare.

 

Poem:

Drink to me only with thine eyes,

         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 honouring thee

As giving it a hope, that there

         It could not withered 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.

Thoughts:

Such a beautiful poem, filled with heart ache, and longing and just need to be close to your love even if by touching the objects they touched!

Beautiful! And I never heard of this brilliant poet before!

A golden find!

See you next Monday!