Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Plates
- Dedication
- General Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Poems from the Dobell Folio
- The Salutation
- Wonder
- Eden
- Innocence
- The Preparative
- The Instruction
- The Vision
- The Rapture
- The Improvment
- The Approach
- Dumnesse
- Silence
- My Spirit
- The Apprehension (‘Right Apprehension. II’)
- Fullnesse
- Nature
- Ease
- Speed
- The Designe (‘The Choice’)
- The Person
- The Estate
- The Enquirie
- The Circulation
- Amendment
- The Demonstration
- The Anticipation
- The Recovery
- Another
- Love
- Thoughts. I
- Blisse (Stanzas 5 & 6, ‘The Apostacy’)
- Thoughts. II
- ‘Ye hidden Nectars’
- Thoughts. III
- Desire
- ‘In thy Presence’ (Thoughts. IV)
- Goodnesse
- Poems of Felicity
- The Ceremonial Law
- Poems from the Early Notebook
- Textual Emendations and Notes
- Manuscript Foliation of Poems
- Glossary
- Index of Titles and First Lines
The Enquirie
from Poems from the Dobell Folio
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2015
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Plates
- Dedication
- General Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Poems from the Dobell Folio
- The Salutation
- Wonder
- Eden
- Innocence
- The Preparative
- The Instruction
- The Vision
- The Rapture
- The Improvment
- The Approach
- Dumnesse
- Silence
- My Spirit
- The Apprehension (‘Right Apprehension. II’)
- Fullnesse
- Nature
- Ease
- Speed
- The Designe (‘The Choice’)
- The Person
- The Estate
- The Enquirie
- The Circulation
- Amendment
- The Demonstration
- The Anticipation
- The Recovery
- Another
- Love
- Thoughts. I
- Blisse (Stanzas 5 & 6, ‘The Apostacy’)
- Thoughts. II
- ‘Ye hidden Nectars’
- Thoughts. III
- Desire
- ‘In thy Presence’ (Thoughts. IV)
- Goodnesse
- Poems of Felicity
- The Ceremonial Law
- Poems from the Early Notebook
- Textual Emendations and Notes
- Manuscript Foliation of Poems
- Glossary
- Index of Titles and First Lines
Summary
1
Men may delighted be with Springs,
While Trees and Herbs their Senses pleas,
And taste even living Nectar in the Seas:
May think their Members things
Of Earthly Worth at least, if not Divine,
And Sing becaus the Earth for them doth Shine.
2
But can the Angels take Delight,
To see such Faces here beneath?
Or can Perfumes indeed from Dunghils breath?
Or is the World a Sight
Worthy of them? Then may we Mortals be
Surrounded with Eternal Claritie.
3
Even Holy Angels may com down
To walk on Earth, and see Delights,
That feed and pleas, even here, their Appetites.
Our Joys may make a Crown
For them. And in his Tabernacle Men may be
Like Palmes we mingled with the Cherubs see.
4
Mens Sences are indeed the Gems,
Their Praises the most Sweet Perfumes,
Their Eys the Thrones, their Hearts the Heavnly Rooms,
Their Souls the Diadems,
Their Tongues the Organs which they lov to hear,
Their Cheeks and faces like to theirs appear.
5
The Wonders which our God hath done,
The Glories of his Attributes,
Like dangling Apples or like Golden Fruits,
Angelick Joys become.
His Wisdom Shines, on Earth; his Lov doth flow,
Like Myrrh or Incense, even here below.
6
And shall not we such Joys possess,
Which God for Man did chiefly make?
The Angels hav them only for our sake!
And yet they all confess
His Glory here on Earth to be Divine,
And that his GODHEAD in his Works doth Shine.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Works of Thomas Traherne VIPoems from the 'Dobell Folio', Poems of Felicity, The Ceremonial Law, Poems from the 'Early Notebook', pp. 43 - 44Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2014