{"id":22,"date":"2024-09-17T17:14:45","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T17:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2024-09-17T17:14:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T17:14:51","slug":"to-his-mistress-going-to-bed","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/annotated-poems\/to-his-mistress-going-to-bed\/","title":{"rendered":"To His Mistress Going to Bed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By John Donne<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/header>\n
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Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defy,<\/div>\n
Until I labour, I in labour lie.<\/div>\n
The foe oft-times having the foe in sight,<\/div>\n
Is tir\u2019d with standing though he never fight.<\/div>\n
Off with that girdle, like heaven\u2019s Zone glistering,<\/div>\n
But a far fairer world encompassing.<\/div>\n
Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear,<\/div>\n
That th\u2019eyes of busy fools may be stopped there.<\/div>\n
Unlace yourself, for that harmonious chime,<\/div>\n
Tells me from you, that now it is bed time.<\/div>\n
Off with that happy busk, which I envy,<\/div>\n
That still can be, and still can stand so nigh.<\/div>\n
Your gown going off, such beauteous state reveals,<\/div>\n
As when from flowery meads th\u2019hill\u2019s shadow steals.<\/div>\n
Off with that wiry Coronet and shew<\/div>\n
The hairy Diadem which on you doth grow:<\/div>\n
Now off with those shoes, and then safely tread<\/div>\n
In this love\u2019s hallow\u2019d temple, this soft bed.<\/div>\n
In such white robes, heaven\u2019s Angels used to be<\/div>\n
Received by men; Thou Angel bringst with thee<\/div>\n
A heaven like Mahomet\u2019s Paradise; and though<\/div>\n
Ill spirits walk in white, we easily know,<\/div>\n
By this these Angels from an evil sprite,<\/div>\n
Those set our hairs, but these our flesh upright.<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Licence my roving hands, and let them go,<\/div>\n
Before, behind, between, above, below.<\/div>\n
O my America! my new-found-land,<\/div>\n
My kingdom, safeliest when with one man mann\u2019d,<\/div>\n
My Mine of precious stones, My Empirie,<\/div>\n
How blest am I in this discovering thee!<\/div>\n
To enter in these bonds, is to be free;<\/div>\n
Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be.<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Full nakedness! All joys are due to thee,<\/div>\n
As souls unbodied, bodies uncloth\u2019d must be,<\/div>\n
To taste whole joys. Gems which you women use<\/div>\n
Are like Atlanta\u2019s balls, cast in men\u2019s views,<\/div>\n
That when a fool\u2019s eye lighteth on a Gem,<\/div>\n
His earthly soul may covet theirs, not them.<\/div>\n
Like pictures, or like books\u2019 gay coverings made<\/div>\n
For lay-men, are all women thus array\u2019d;<\/div>\n
Themselves are mystic books, which only we<\/div>\n
(Whom their imputed grace will dignify)<\/div>\n
Must see reveal\u2019d. Then since that I may know;<\/div>\n
As liberally, as to a Midwife, shew<\/div>\n
Thy self: cast all, yea, this white linen hence,<\/div>\n
There is no penance due to innocence.<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To teach thee, I am naked first; why then<\/div>\n
What needst thou have more covering than a man?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By John Donne Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defy, Until I labour, I in labour lie. The foe oft-times having the foe in sight, Is tir\u2019d with standing though he never fight. Off with that girdle, like heaven\u2019s Zone glistering, But a far fairer world encompassing. Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear, … Continue reading To His Mistress Going to Bed<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3562,"featured_media":0,"parent":14,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3562"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/digitalmethodsforthehumanities2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}