L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus, and Lycidas

Name: L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus, and Lycidas
Author: John Milton

by John Milton

Pages: about 41
Category: Literature & Fiction
Language: English
Reading time: 45 min at 250 wpm

Start readingThe whole book, as cards or one word at a time. 25 min at 450 wpm in Read mode.

From the opening

HENCE, loathed Melancholy, ............Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born In Stygian cave forlorn ............'Mongst horrid shapes, and shrieks, and sights unholy! Find out some uncouth cell, ............Where brooding Darkness spreads his jealous wings, And the night-raven sings; ............There, under ebon shades and low-browed rocks, As ragged as thy locks, ............In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell. But come, thou Goddess fair and free, In heaven yclept Euphrosyne, And by men heart-easing Mirth; Whom lovely Venus, at a birth, With two sister Graces more, To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore: Or whether (as some sager sing) The frolic wind that breathes the spring, Zephyr, with Aurora playing, As he met her once a-Maying, There, on beds of violets blue, And fresh-blown roses washed in dew, Filled her with thee, a daughter fair, So buxom, blithe, and debonair. Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee Jest, and youthful Jollity, Quips and cranks and wanton wiles, Nods and becks and wreathed smiles Such as hang on Hebe's cheek, And love to live in dimple sleek; Sport that wrinkled Care derides, And Laughter holding both his sides.

A short sample. Read the whole book

L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus, and Lycidas

From the opening

More to read