Original - Duke Divinity School

Song 174
I Said to my Heart, between Sleeping and Waking,
Thou wild Thing, that always art leaping or aking,
What Black, Brown, or Fair, in what Clime, in what Nation,
By turns has not taught thee a Pit–a–pat–ation?
Thus accus’d, the wild Thing gave this sober Reply:
See the Heart without Motion, tho’ Celia pass by!
Not the Beauty she has, or the Wit that she borrows,
Gives the Eye any Joys, or the Heart any Sorrows.
When our Sappho appears, she whose Wit so refin’d
I am forc’d to applaud with the rest of Mankind;
Whatever she says, is with Spirit and Fire;
Ev’ry Word I attend; but I only admire.
Prudentia as vainly would put in her Claim,
Ever gazing on Heaven, tho’ Man is her Aim:
’Tis Love, not Devotion, that turns up her Eyes,
Those Stars of this World are too good for the Skies.
But Cloe so lively, so easy, so fair,
Her Wit so Genteel, without Art, without Care;
When she comes in my Way, the Motion, the Pain.
The Leapings, the Akings, return all again.
O wonderful Creature! a Woman of Reason!
Never grave out of Pride, never gay out of Season;
When so easy to guess who this Angel should be,
Do you think — — ne’er dreamt it was She?
To Stella, who Transcribed His Poems 175
Thou Stella, wert no longer young,
When first for thee my Lyre I strung:
Without one Word of Cupid’s Darts,
Of killing Eyes, or bleeding Hearts:
174 “Song,” By a Person of Quality, Pope & Swift, Miscellanies, 3:101.
175 “To Stella, who ... Transcribed His Poems,” Pope & Swift, Miscellanies, 3: 156–59 .
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