A Song
by John Dryden — a poem card from Justes Mots
A dying lover urges a shepherd to convey his deepest feelings to his beloved, asserting that only music and poetry can express what his voice cannot. The poem explores the paradox that pity alone cannot sustain love, and that genuine affection requires reciprocation. It resonates with those experiencing unrequited love or seeking poetic means to express overwhelming emotion.
Go tell Amynta, gentle swain,
I would not die, nor dare complain:
Thy tuneful voice with numbers join,
Thy words will more prevail than mine.
To souls oppress'd and dumb with grief,
The gods ordain this kind relief;
That music should in sounds convey,
What dying lovers dare not say.…
Themes: love · new-baby · wedding · friendship