Saturday, April 21, 2012

Classic Poetry - "Life" by William Drummond



William Drummond (1585–1649)

Life 
 
This Life, which seems so fair,

is like a bubble blown up in the air

by sporting children’s breath,

who chase it everywhere

and strive who can most motion it bequeath.
       
And though it sometimes seem of its own might

like to an eye of gold to be fix’d there,

and firm to hover in that empty height,

that only is because it is so light.

But in that pomp it doth not long appear;
        
for when ’tis most admired, in a thought,

because it erst was nought, it turns to nought.

Sir William Drummond was well educated, earning his M.A. and a law degree. Devoted to a branch of the royal family, The Stuarts, he is fabled to have died from grief after the passing of Charles I. His poetry was popular with the bourgeois during the Elizabethan revival at the end of the eighteenth century.
Some have ventured a genealogical connection to Lady Diana Spencer.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely, Kim, thank you so much. For some reason, I am amazed that they had bubbles back then:)Interesting the possible connection with Lady Diana and the poet. Thank you for these Saturday sessions. I need all the education I can get!

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  2. Thanks for sharing this, and some great poetic history! I love the phrase "blown up in the air / by sporting children's breath"--and I'm with Sherry, I love the fact that they had bubbles back then. Bubbles ... the timeless gift to our imaginations :)

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  3. I found this fascinating! The thought of bubbles surprises and delights me~ It has a magical effect~ Thank you for sharing :D

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  4. Aren't we touched and amused, amazed and entertained by the simplest of things? I love that!

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