Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | Idea | Sonnet 3. Taking my pen, with words to cast my woe | Michael Drayton (15631631) |
| [First printed in 1599 (No. 6), and in all later editions.] |
| TAKING my pen, with words to cast my woe, | |
Duly to count the sum of all my cares; | |
I find, my griefs innumerable grow: | |
The recknings rise to millions of despairs. | |
And thus dividing of my fatal hours: | 5 |
The payments of my Love, I read and cross; | |
Subtracting, set my Sweets unto my Sours. | |
My Joys arrearage leads me to my loss. | |
And thus mine eyes a debtor to thine eye, | |
Which by extortion gaineth all their looks; | 10 |
My heart hath paid such grievous usury, | |
That all their wealth lies in thy Beautys books, | |
And all is Thine which hath been due to me; | |
And I a bankrupt, quite undone by Thee! | | |
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