On his Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia
Sir Henry Wotton
1568 to 1639
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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As if the spring were all your own;
By your pure purple mantles known,
You curious chanters of the wood,
You violets that first appear,
What are you when the moon shall rise?
When Philomel her voice shall raise?
Tell me if she were not design'd
Th' eclipse and glory of her kind?
By virtue first, then choice, a Queen,
So, when my mistress shall be seen
That warble forth Dame Nature's lays,
You common people of the skies;
In form and beauty of her mind,
More by your number, than your light,
What are you when the rose is blown?
By your weak accents; what's your praise,
Like the proud virgins of the year,
Thinking your passions understood
That poorly satisfy our eyes,
You meaner beauties of the night,