THE

OXFORD BOOK OF

SonnetsEDITED BY

JOHN FULLER

OXFORDUNIVERSITY PRESS

CONTENTS

Introduction xxv

SIR THOMAS WYATT (?15O3-1542)

1. 'Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind' 32. 'Farewell, love, and all thy laws for ever' 43. 'Unstable dream, according to the place' 5

HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF SURREY (?1517-1547)

4. 'Set me whereas the sun doth parch the green' 65. 'Norfolk sprang thee, Lambeth holds thee dead' 7

GILES FLETCHER (?1549"l6ll)

6. 'Isaw, sweet Licia, when the spider ran' 8

EDMUND SPENSER (?1552-1599)

7. 'More than most fair, full of the living fire' 98. 'Sweet warrior, when shall I have peace with you?' 109. 'Coming to kiss her lips, such grace I found' 11

10. 'One day I wrote her name upon the strand' 1211. "Was it a dream, or did I see it plain 13

SIR WALTER RALEGH (?1552-l6l8)

a2. Sir Walter Ralegh to his son 14

FULKE GREVILLE, LORD BROOKE (1554-1628)

13. 'Satan, no woman, yet a wandering spirit' 15

CONTENTS

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY (1554-1586)

14. 'Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show' 1615. 'In truth, O Love, with what a boyish kind' 1716. 'With how sad steps, O moon, thou climb'st the

skies' 1817. 'Come, sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace' 1918. 'O kiss, which dost those ruddy gems impart' 20

SIR ARTHUR GORGES (1557-1625)19. 'Yourself the sun, and I the melting frost' 21

GEORGE CHAPMAN (?1559~l634)20-9. A Coronet for his Mistress Philosophy 22

HENRY CONSTABLE (1562-1613)30. 'Uncivil sickness, hast thou no regard' 32

SAMUEL DANIEL (1562-1619)31. 'Care-charmer sleep, son of the sable night' 33

MICHAEL DRAYTON (1563-1631)32. 'You not alone, when you are still alone' 3433. 'Since there's no help, come let us kiss and part' 35

JOSHUA SYLVESTER (1563-1618)34-5. Acrostiteliostichon 36

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)36. 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?' 3837. 'Not marble, nor the gilded monuments' 3938. 'Like as the waves make towards the pebbled

shore' 4039. 'Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless

sea' 41

VI

CONTENTS

40. 'That time of year thou mayst in me behold' 4241. 'They that have power to hurt, and will do none' 4342. 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds' 4443. 'Two loves I have of comfort and despair' 45

JOHN DAVIES OF HEREFORD (?1565-l6l8)44. 'When first I learned the ABC of love' 4645. 'It is as true as strange, else trial feigns' 4746. 'Give me, fair sweet, the map, well-coloured' 4847. 'So shoots a star as doth my mistress glide' 49

THOMAS CAMPION (1567-1620)48. 'Thrice toss these oaken ashes in the air' 50

WILLIAM ALABASTER (1568-1640)49. 'Lo here I am, lord, whither wilt thou send me?' 5150. 'Dear, and so worthy both by your desert' 52

BARNABE BARNES (?1569~l6O9)51. 'fove for Europa's love took shape of 'bull' 53

SIR JOHN DAVIES (1569-1626)52. 'The sacred muse that first made love divine' 54

JOHN DONNE (1572-1631)53. 'I am a little world made cunningly' 5554. 'At the round earth's imagined corners, blow' 5655. 'Death, be not proud, though some have called

thee' 5756. 'Batter my heart, three-personed God, foryou' 5857. 'Show me, dear Christ, thy spouse, so bright and

clear' 59

vii

CONTENTS

RICHARD BARNFIELD (1574-1627)

58. 'Beauty and Majesty are fallen at odds' 60

EDWARD, LORD HERBERT OF CHERBURY (1582-1648)59. 'You well-compacted groves, whose light and

shade' 61

WILLIAM DRUMMOND (1585-1649)60. 'Slide soft, fair Forth, and make a crystal plain' 6261. 'To spread the azure canopy of heaven' 63

LADY MARY WROTH (l587-?l65l)62. 'How do I find my soul's extremest anguish' 6463. 'My heart is lost. What can I now expect?' 6564. 'Late in the forest I did Cupid see' 6665. 'Juno, still jealous ofherhusband Jove' 67

WILLIAM BROWNE (?159O-?l645) V-66. 'Down in a valley, by a forest's side' 68

GEORGE HERBERT (l593~l633)67. Redemption 6968. Prayer 70

THOMAS CAREW (?1595-l64O)69. To my Rival 71

WILLIAM HABINGTON (1605-1664)70. To Castara. Upon Beauty 7271. To the Moment last past 73

EDMUND WALLER (1606-1687)72. Love's Farewell 74

vm

CONTENTS

JOHN MILTON(I6O8-I674)

73. To Charles Diodati 7574. When the Assault was Intended to the City 7675. 'Lady, that in the prime of earliest youth' 7776. 'A book was writ of late called Tetrachordon' 7877. On the late Massacre in Piedmont 7978. 'When I consider how my light is spent' 8079. 'Methought I saw my late espoused saint' 81

CHARLES COTTON (163O-I687)80-3. Resolution in Four Sonnets, of a Poetical

Question put to me by a Friend, concerningFour Rural Sisters 82

PHILIP AYRES (1638-I712)84. Cynthia on Horseback 86

APHRA BEHN (164O-I689) v

85. Epitaph on the Tombstone of a Child, the last ofSeven that died before 87

THOMAS EDWARDS (1699-I757)86. On the Edition of Mr. Pope's Works with a

Commentary and Notes 88

THOMAS GRAY (1716-1771)87. On the Death of Richard West 89

THOMAS WARTON (1728-1790)88. On Bathing 9089. To the River Lodon 91

WILLIAM COWPER (1731-1800)90. To George Romney, esq. 92

IX

CONTENTS

ANNA SEWARD (1742-1809)

91. To the Poppy 93

CHARLOTTE SMITH (1749-1806)

92. To a Nightingale 9493. Composed during a Walk on the Downs, in

November 1787 9594. To Fancy 9695. To the Insect of the Gossamer 97

JOHN BAMPFYLDE (l754"1797)

96. On a Wet Summer 98

MARY ROBINSON (1758-18O0)

97. To Liberty 99

WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES (1762-1850)

98. To the River Itchin, near Winton 10099. On the Death of William Linley, esq. 101

HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS (1762-1827)

100. To Hope 102

101. To the Strawberry 103

THOMAS RUSSELL (1762-1788)

102. To Boccaccio 104

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770-1850)

103. Composed upon Westminster Bridge,September 3,1802

104. September 1,1802105. 'Surprised by joy—impatient as the wind'106. The Faery Chasm

CONTENTS

107. 7 watch, and long have watched, with calmregret' 109

108. The Column intended by Buonaparte for atriumphal edifice in Milan, now lying by theway-side in the Simplon Pass no

109. 'Scorn not the sonnet; critic, you have frowned' 111110. A Tradition ofOker Hill in Darley Dale,

Derbyshire 112

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1772-1834)111. To the River Otter 113112. Koskiusko 114113. Composed on a journey homeward; the author

having received intelligence of the birth of a son,Sept. 20,1796 115

114. To Nature 116115. Work without Hope ( 117

MARY TIGHE (1772-1810)116. Written in Autumn 118117. Written at the Eagle's Nest 119

ROBERT SOUTHEY (1774-1843)118. 'A wrinkled crabbed man they picture thee' 120

CHARLES LAMB (1775-1834)119. The Gipsy's Malison 121120. ToDoraW[ordsworth] 122

WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR (1775-1864)121. To Arthur de Noe Walker 123

EBENEZER ELLIOTT (1781-1849)122. The Fatal Birth 124

XI

CONTENTS

JAMES HENRY LEIGH HUNT (1784-1850)

123. To the Grasshopper and the Cricket 125124-6. The Fish, the Man, and the Spirit 126127. Iterating Sonnet 129

GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON (1788-1824)

128. ToGenevra 130

JOHN KEBLE (1792-1866)129. Malvern at a Distance 131

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY (l792~l822)130. England in 1819 132131-5. Ode to the West Wind 133136. Ozymandias 138

JOHN CLARE (1793-1864)137. The Ants 139138. 'lam' v 140139. The Maple Tree 141

GEORGE DARLEY (1795-1846)140. The Free-hooter 142

JOHN KEATS (1795-1821)141. On First Looking into Chapman's Homer 143142. To Mrs. Reynolds's Cat 144143. 'Blue! 'Tis the life of heaven, the domain 145144. To Sleep 146145. 'Bright star! Would I were steadfast as thou art' 147

HARTLEY COLERIDGE (1796-1849)146. 'Long time a child, and still a child, when years' 148147. Night 149

Xll

C O N T E N T S

THOMAS H O O D (1799-1845)

148. Silence 150149. ToVauxhall 151150. Literary Reminiscences 152

WILLIAM BARNES (l801-l886)

151. False Friends-like 153

THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES (1803-1849)

152. To Tartar, a terrier beauty 154

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING (l8o6-l86l)

153. 'If thou must love me, let it be for nought' 155154. 'Inever gave a lock ofhair away' 156155. 'Say over again, and yet once over again' 157156. 'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways' 158157. 'Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers' 159

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW (1807-1882)

158. The Galaxy 160159. The Broken Oar 161

JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER (1807-1892)

160. To a Cape Ann Schooner 162

CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER (1807-1898)

161. A Dream 163162. East or West? 164163. Letty's Globe 165164. Great Britain through the Ice 166165. Julius Cxsar and the Honey-bee 167

EDGAR ALLAN POE (1809-1849)

166. To Science 168

xni

CONTENTS

ALFRED TENNYSON, LORD TENNYSON (1809-1892)

167. Lines on Cambridge of 1830 169168. 'If I were loved, as I desire to be' 170169. 'How thought you that this thing could captivate?' 171170. 'Guess well, and that is well. Our age can find' 172

WILLIAM BELL SCOTT (18H-1890)

171. Continuity of Life 173

ROBERT BROWNING (1812-1889)

172. The Names 174173. Now 175

WILLIAM EDMONDSTONE AYTOUN (1813-1865)

174. To Britain 176

ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH (1819-1861)

175. 'Though to the vilest things beneath the moon 177

FREDERICK GODDARD TUCKERMAN (1821-1873)

176. An upper chamber in a darkened house' 178177. 'Tall stately plants with spikes and forks of gold' 179

MATTHEW ARNOLD (l822-l888)

178. Shakespeare 180179. Written in Butler's Sermons 181180. To the Hungarian Nation 182

WILLIAM CORY (1823-1892)

181. Preparation 183

WILLIAM ALLINGHAM (1824-1889)

182. In a Spring Grove 184183. In Snow 185

xiv

CONTENTS

SIDNEY DOBELL (1824-1874)

184. Liberty to M. le Diplomate 186

GEORGE MEREDITH (1828-I9O9)

185. Lucifer in Starlight 187186-7. Camelus Saltat 188

DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI (1828-1882)

188-91. Willowwood 190192. He and I 194

CHRISTINA ROSSETTI (183O-1894)

193-206. Monna Innominata 195

SAMUEL BUTLER (1835-19O2)

207-9. 'She was too kind, wooed too persistently' 210

JOHN LEICESTER WARREN, BARON DE TABLEY

(1835-1893)210. 'Record is nothing, and the hero great' 213

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE (1837-19O9)

211. Love and Sleep 214212. On the Russian persecution of the Jews 215213. For a Picture 216

AUGUSTA WEBSTER (1837-1894)

214. Mother and Daughter 217

WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT (184O-I922)

215. 'Farewell, then. It is finished. I forego' 218

THOMAS HARDY (184O-I928)

216. Hap 219217. The Sleep-worker 220

xv

CONTENTS

218. me Minute oepre Meeting219. A Church Romance

ROBERT BUCHANAN (184I-19O1)220. The Wanderers

EDWARD DOWDEN (1843-1913)221. The Singer

ROBERT BRIDGES (1844-1930)222. To Francis Jammes

ADA CAMBRIDGE (1844-1926)223. Desire

GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS (1844-1889)224. God's Grandeur225. The Windhover226. Hurrahing in Harvest227. Felix Randal228. Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves229. 7 wake and feel the fell of dark, not day'

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

233

LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON (1845-1895)230. Am I to Lose You? 234

MICHAEL FIELD (KATHERINE BRADLEY, 1846-1914,AND EDITH COOPER,1862-1913)231. Ebbtide at Sundown 235232. The Mummy invokes his Soul 236233. Maidenhair 237

ALICE MEYNELL (1847-I922)234. Thoughts in Separation 238235. Renouncement 239

xvi

CONTENTS

DIGBY MACKWORTH DOLBEN (1848-1867)

236. 'One night I dreamt that in a gleaming hall' 240

WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY (1849-I9O3)

237. At Queehsferry 241

PHILIP BOURKE MARSTON (185O-1887)

238. Speechless 242

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON (185O-1894)

239. 'Nay, but I fancy somehow, year by year' 243

OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900)

240. Santa Decca 244

AGNES MARY FRANCES ROBINSON (1857-1944)

241. Art and Life 245V

FRANCIS THOMPSON (1859-I9O7)

242. NonPax—Expectatio 246

MARY COLERIDGE (1861-1907)

243. To a Piano 247

LAURENCE HOPE ( A D E L A FLORENCE CORY

NICOLSON, 1865-1904)

244. 'I Shall Forget' 248

RUDYARD KIPLING (1865-1936)

245. The Hour of the Angel 249

ARTHUR SYMONS (1865-1945)

246. At Seventeen 250

xvii

CONTENTS

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS (1865-1939)

247. Leda and the Swan 251248. Meru 252

EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON (1869-1935)

249. Fleming Helphenstine 253250. Lingard and the Stars 254251. Why he was There 255

ROBERT FROST (1874-1963)

252. Design 256

253. The Silken Tent 257254. Meeting and Passing 258

EDWARD THOMAS (1878-1917)

255. 'Some eyes condemn the earth they gaze upon' 259

SIEGFRIED SASSOON (1886-1967) ,

256. Glory of Women 260257. Sporting Acquaintances 261

RUPERT BROOKE (1887-1915)

258. The Hill 262259. Sonnet Reversed 263

ELIZABETH DARYUSH (1887-1977)

260. 'Children of wealth in your warm nursery' 264

ROBINSON JEFFERS (1887-1962)

261. Where I? 265

EDWIN MUIR (1887-1959)

262. Milton 266

xvin

CONTENTS

JOHN CROWE RANSOM (1888-1974)

263. The Tall Girl 267264. Good Ships 268

KENNETH LESLIE (1892-I974)

265. 'The silver herring throbbed thick in my seine' 269

ARCHIBALD MACLEISH (1892-1982)

266. The End of the World 270

EDNA ST VINCENT MILLAY (1892-I950)

267. 'Time does not bring relief; you all have lied' 271

268. 'Grow not too high, grow not too far from home' 272269. 'Night is my sister, and how deep in love' 273

WILFRED OWEN (1893-I9I8)

270. To 274

271. Maundy Thursday 275

SYLVIA TOWNSEND WARNER (1893-L978)

272. 'To no believable blue I turn my eyes' 276

ALDOUS HUXLEY (1894-I963)

273. Armour 277

ROBERT GRAVES (1895-1985)

274. The Troll's Nosegay 278

CHARLES HAMILTON SORLEY (1895-I915)

275. 'When you see millions of the mouthless dead' 279

EDGELL RICKWORD (1898-I982)

276. Moon-talk 280

ROY CAMPBELL (19OI-I957)

277. The Zebras 281

xix

CONTENTS

KENNETH SLESSOR (19OI-I97O)

278. Full Orchestra 282

MERRILL MOORE (19O3-1957)

279. The Odor of a Metal is not Strong 283

PATRICK KAVANAGH (1904-1967)

280. Inniskeen Road: July Evening 284281. Epic 285

NORMAN CAMERON (19O5-I953)

282. Fight with a Water-Spirit 286283. The Unfinished Race 287

WILLIAM EMPSON (1906-1984)

284. The Ants 288

WYSTAN HUGH AUDEN (1907-1973)

285. The Sphinx 289286. 'Here war is simple like a monument' 290287. Edward Lear 291

ALEC DERWENT HOPE (19O7- )

288. Paradise Saved 292

PAUL ENGLE (1908-1991)

289. 'Look! The air shudders when you breathe it in 293

MALCOLM LOWRY (19O9-I957)

290. About Ice 294

ROY FULLER (1912-1991)

291. Your Absence 295

GEORGE BARKER (1913-1991)

292. To My Mother 296

xx

CONTENTS

WELDON KEES (1914-1995)

293. For my Daughter 297

DYLAN THOMAS (l9H-1953)

294. Among those Killed in the Dawn Raid was a ManAged a Hundred 298

GAVIN EWART (1916-1995)

295. The Last Things 299

CHARLES CAUSLEY (1917- )

296. I am the Great Sun 300

ROBERT LOWELL (1917-I977)

297. Inauguration Day. January 1953 301

JOHN HEATH-STUBBS (1918- )

298. Watching Tennis 302

WILLIAM MEREDITH (1919- ) v

299. The Illiterate 303

EDWIN MORGAN (l92O- )

300. 'A shilpit dog fucks grimly by the close' 304

RICHARD WILBUR (l921~ )

301. 'The winter deepening, the hay all in 305

DONALD DAVIE (1922-1995)

302. Jacob's Ladder 306

PHILIP LARKIN (1922-1985)

303. Whatever Happened? 307

LOUIS S I M P S O N (1923- )

304. Summer Storm 308

xxi

CONTENTS

JAMES MERRILL (1926-I995)

305. The Midnight Snack 309

RICHARD MURPHY (1927- )

306. BeehiveCell 310

PETER PORTER (1929- )

307. 'It's there, somewhere in the Platonic cold store' 311

ANTHONY THWAITE (l93O- )

308. Freedom 312

DEREK WALCOTT (l93O- )

309. LeLoupgarou 313

ALAN BROWNJOHN (l931~ )

310. Looking at Her 314

ALISTAIR ELLIOT (l932- )

311. The Latitudes of Home *• 315

GEOFFREY HILL (l932- )

312. LachrimaeAmantis 316

GEORGE MACBETH (1932-1992)

313. The Worst Fear 317

FLEUR ADCOCK (l934~ )

314. Dreaming 318

SEAMUS HEANEY (l939~ )

315. The Skylight 319

MICHAEL LONGLEY (l939~ )

316. Sulpicia 320

XXll

CONTENTS

DEREK MAHON (1941- )

317. Grandfather 321

DOUGLAS DUNN (1942- )

318. The Kaleidoscope 322

EAVAN BOLAND (1944- : )

319. Ready for Flight 323

SUSAN WICKS (1947- )

320. On Re-recording Mozart 324

CHRISTOPHER REID (195O- )

321. At the Wrong Door 325

PAUL MULDOON ( l951- )

322. Why Brownlee Left 326

JANE DRAYCOTT (1954- )

323. The Prince Rupert's Drop '• 327

CAROL ANN DUFFY (l955~ )

324. Prayer 328

ALAN JENKINS (1955- )

325. Murphy's Law 329

JAMIE MCKENDRICK (l955~ )

326. A Shortened History in Pictures 330

SIMON ARMITAGE (1963- )

327. In Our Tenth Year 331

ALICE OSWALD (1966- )

328. Sea Sonnet 332

xxin

CONTENTS

Sources and Notes 333

Acknowledgements 339

Index of Titles and First Lines 347

xxiv