Epigrams: On my First Son

Ben Jonson

1572 –

1637

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy; 
My sin was too much hope of thee, lov'd boy. 
Seven years tho' wert lent to me, and I thee pay, 
Exacted by thy fate, on the just day. 
O, could I lose all father now! For why 
Will man lament the state he should envy? 
To have so soon 'scap'd world's and flesh's rage, 
And if no other misery, yet age? 
Rest in soft peace, and, ask'd, say, "Here doth lie 
Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry." 
For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such, 
As what he loves may never like too much.

This poem is in the public domain.

The Noble Nature

     It is not growing like a tree	
     In bulk, doth make man better be;	
Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,	
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere:	
          A lily of a day	        
          Is fairer far in May,	
     Although it fall and die that night—	
     It was the plant and flower of Light.	
In small proportions we just beauties see;	
And in short measures life may perfect be.

Ben Jonson

1640

An Ode to Himself

Where dost thou careless lie
    Buried in ease and sloth?
Knowledge that sleeps, doth die
And this security,
    It is the common moth
That eats on wits and arts, and that destroys them both.

Are all the Aonian springs
    Dried up?

Ben Jonson

1640

On Poet-Ape

Poor Poet-Ape, that would be thought our chief, 
   Whose works are e'en the frippery of wit, 
From brokage is become so bold a thief, 
   As we, the robb'd, leave rage, and pity it. 
At first he made low shifts, would pick and glean, 
   Buy the reversion of old plays;  now grown 
To a little wealth, and credit in the scene, 
   He takes up all, makes each man's wit his own: 
And, told of this, he slights it.  Tut, such crimes 
   The sluggish gaping auditor devours; 
He marks not whose 'twas first: and after-times 
   May judge it to be his, as well as ours. 
Fool!

Ben Jonson

1616

Poems

Epigrams: On my First Son

More by this poet

The Noble Nature

An Ode to Himself

On Poet-Ape

Poems

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Epigrams: On my First Son

More by this poet

The Noble Nature

An Ode to Himself

On Poet-Ape

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