To His Forsaken Mistress

Sir Robert Ayton

1570 to 1638

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Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

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I do confess thou'rt sweet; yet find
Hath brought thee to be loved by none.
    Her sweets no longer with her dwells:
    That lips could move, had power to move thee;
The morning rose that untouch'd stands
Had I not found the slightest prayer
As worthy to be loved by none.
    Arm'd with her briers, how sweet she smells!
To see thy love to every one
And since thou canst with more than one,
Such fate ere long will thee betide
    And I might have gone near to love thee,
Thou'rt worthy to be kiss'd by none.
    Thee such an unthrift of thy sweets,
    When thou hast handled been awhile,
    That kisseth everything it meets:
But scent and beauty both are gone,
With sere flowers to be thrown aside;
But I can let thee now alone
And leaves fall from her, one by one.
I do confess thou'rt smooth and fair,
But pluck'd and strain'd through ruder hands,
    And I shall sigh, while some will smile,
Thy favours are but like the wind