An evil spirit, your beauty, haunts me still,
Wherewith, alas, I have been long possess'd,
Which ceaseth not to tempt me to each ill,
Nor gives me once but one poor minute's rest.
In me it speaks, whether I sleep or wake;
And when by means to drive it out I try,
With greater torments then it me doth take,
And tortures me in most extremity.
Before my face it lays down my despairs,
And hastes me on unto a sudden death;
Now tempting me to drown myself in tears,
And then in sighing to give up my breath.
Thus am I still provok'd to every evil
By this good-wicked spirit, sweet angel-devil.
Michael Drayton, An evil spirit, your beauty, haunts me still
I think it is a pity that more people do not read Michael Drayton. His style is very heavy, it must be said, but at the same time the sentiment and thought in some of his poems is just wonderful. Take this poem, for example. It is an excellent example of the power of contrast in conjuring up imagery. Who has known someone who was a 'good-wicked spirit', a 'sweet angel-devil'. Is that not the power and curse of beauty? Sometimes the most beautiful can be those who are the most cruel.
But i think this poem is not about that, although there are some elements that speak of a harsh beauty. Rather this poem is about the power of beauty. How it 'haunts' the speaker, how it drives him to despair, it temps him to drown himself in his own tears, how he cannot sleep because of it, how it 'hastes' him to a 'sudden death... How odd that beauty can be so powerful! How odd that something so ephemeral can hold so much sway over people. I mean, beauty fades. That has always been the main complaint. But it is undenied in its utter and awe-inspiring power of people. Ever been 'under the spell' of someone beautiful? It is the ultimate door opener. And it keeps someone in raptures even after the thrill of the chase, or the sexual encounter has long gone. It is beauty that keeps the mind racing, keeps someone turning in their bed. I almost feel for the poor speaker, and how he feels he cannot live because her beauty is haunting him.
And also i think it is interesting to see that although this poem was written almost 5 centuries ago there are some common throughout history. And the power of beauty is one of them.
[tfs]
hmmm. i think it can be said relatively unarguably that lily donaldson is possessing of the kind of beauty that 'haunts'.
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