Having enjoyed Caleb's recent post on his enjoyment of the poem Batter My Heart by John Donne I have decided two share two of my current favourite poems on my blog. The first is actually actually a poem by Ben Jonson on John Donne himself and I came across it recently in my Reading the Renaissance module:


Donne, the delight of Phoebus and each Muse
Who, to thy one, all other brains refuse;
Whose every work of thy most early wit
Came forth example, and remains so yet;
Longer a-knowing than most wits do live;
And which no affection praise enough can give!
To it, thy language, letters, arts, best life,
Which might with half mankind maintain a strife.
All which I meant to praise, and yet I would;
But leave, because I cannot as I should!


What a glowing reference to have! The honour of having Ben Jonson exclaiming how great John Donne is as a poet must have been immense.

My second poem is one written by Sir Paul McCartney of all people. It is from him collection Blackbird Singing, a collection of lyrics and poems between 1965-1999. Although I do not rate a lot of his poems some are of great quality such as this:

On a full moon's eve

On a full moon's eve
A tiger sprang
And gnawed on
Who I used to be

A pale haze lights
The fox's eye
And . . .
Checking once
He leaves by a hole in the hedge

Old loves return
To kiss the lips
In case the empty gallery
Should fill with whispering strangers
Like a flood

I have to say that this poem lept out and bit me (or should I say gnawed!?) so much that I immediately had to rush around Rathbone sharing it with everyone and anyone. It is so beautiful and strong *sigh* yet another poem I wish i'd been able to write :-)