Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online
Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry
443 | | |
444 | | Much he the place admired, |
445 | | As one who long in populous city pent, |
446 | | Where houses thick and sewers annoy |
447 | | Forth issuing on a summer’s morn to breathe |
448 | | Among the pleasant villages and farms |
449 | | Adjoined, from each thing met conceives delight, |
450 | | |
451 | | Or dairy, |
452 | | If chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass, |
453 | | What pleasing seemed, for her |
454 | | She most, and in her look sums all delight. |
455 | | Such pleasure took the serpent to behold |
456 | | |
457 | | Thus early, thus alone. Her Heav’nly form |
458 | | Angelic, but more soft, and feminine, |
459 | | Her graceful innocence, her every air |
460 | | Of gesture, or least action, overawed |
461 | | |
462 | | His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought. |
463 | | |
464 | | From his own evil, and for the time remained |
465 | | Stupidly |
466 | | Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge. |
467 | | But the hot Hell that always in him burns, |
468 | | Though in mid Heav’n, soon ended his delight, |
469 | | And tortures him now more, the more he sees |
470 | | Of pleasure, not for him ordained. Then soon |
471 | | Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts |
472 | | |
473 | | |
474 | | Compulsion thus transported, to forget |
475 | | What hither brought us! Hate, not love, nor hope |
476 | | Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste |
477 | | Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy, |
478 | | Save what is in destroying. Other joy |
479 | | To me is lost. Then let me not let pass |
480 | | Occasion |
481 | | The woman, opportune |
482 | | Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh, |
483 | | Whose higher intellectual |
484 | | And strength, of courage haughty, |
485 | | Heroic built, though of terrestrial mould, |
486 | | Foe not informidable! |
487 | | I not, so much hath Hell debased, and pain |
488 | | Enfeebled me, to what I was in Heav’n. |
489 | | She fair, divinely fair, fit love for Gods! |
490 | | Not terrible, though terror be in love |
491 | | |
492 | | Hate stronger, under show of love well feigned, |
493 | | The way which to her ruin now I tend.” |
494 | | |
495 | | In serpent, inmate |
496 | | |
497 | | Prone on the ground, as since, but on his rear, |
498 | | Circular base of rising folds, that tow’red |
499 | | Fold above fold, a surging maze! His head |
500 | | Crested aloft, and carbuncle |
501 | | With burnished neck of verdant gold, erect |
502 | | Amidst his circling spires, |
503 | | |
504 | | And lovely, never since of serpent-kind |
505 | | Lovelier, not those that in Illyria changed |
506 | | |
507 | | In Epidaurus, |
508 | | |
509 | | He with Olympias, this with her who bore |
510 | | |
511 | | At first, as one who sought access |
512 | | To interrupt, sidelong he works his way. |
513 | | As when a ship, by skilful steersman wrought |
514 | | Nigh river’s mouth or foreland, |
515 | | Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail, |
516 | | So varied he, and of his tortuous |
517 | | |
518 | | To lure her eye. She, busied, heard the sound |
519 | | Of rustling leaves, but minded not, as used |
520 | | To such disport before |
521 | | From every beast, more duteous |
522 | | Than at Circean call the herd disguised. |
523 | | |
524 | | But as in gaze admiring. Oft he bowed |
525 | | His turret crest, and sleek enamelled neck, |
526 | | Fawning, and licked the ground whereon she trod. |
527 | | His gentle dumb expression turned at length |
528 | | The eye of Eve to mark his play. He, glad |
529 | | Of her attention gained, with serpent-tongue |