78 Matching Annotations
  1. Dec 2024
    1. musing

      a period of reflection or thought

    2. trod

      walked down in a specified way

    3. bawling

      crying noisily

    4. devout

      having or showing deep religious feeling or commitment

    5. seldom

      rarely, infrequently

    6. betel

      an Asian evergreen climbing plant that when chewed, causes the saliva to go red and the teeth to go black

    7. maidens

      unmarried young women

    8. dismal

      depressing, gloomy

    9. caterwauling

      to make a shrill howl, like a cat

    10. banks of mud

      a quagmire, a band of mud partially submerged

    11. weary

      tired, exhausted

    12. parson

      A beneficed member of the clergy ; a clergyman (especially in a protestant church)

    13. leaden

      dull, heavy

  2. Sep 2024
    1. John Donne

      1572-1631 Considered the preeminent representative of metaphysical poems.

    2. Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is; It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; Thou know’st that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead,     Yet this enjoys before it woo,     And pampered swells with one blood made of two,     And this, alas, is more than we would do. – Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, nay more than married are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is; Though parents grudge, and you, w’are met, And cloistered in these living walls of jet.     Though use make you apt to kill me,     Let not to that, self-murder added be,     And sacrilege, three sins in killing three

      Rhymes are AABBCCDDD

    3. Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled thy nail, in blood of innocence? Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it sucked from thee? Yet thou triumph’st, and say’st that thou Find’st not thy self, nor me the weaker now;     ’Tis true; then learn how false, fears be:     Just so much honor, when thou yield’st to me,     Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.

      Rhymes are AABBCCBBB

    4. thee

      you

    5. yield

      produce or provide (???) when she will present herself in front of him (in a sexual sense)

    6. thou

      you

    7. ’Tis

      this is

    8. thy self,

      yourself

    9. say’st that thou

      you say that you

    10. thou triumph’st

      you win, you celebrate

    11. thee

      you

    12. Wherein

      in which

    13. thy

      the

    14. hast thou

      have you

    15. apt

      find suitable, find desirable

    16. jet

      black

    17. cloistered

      imprisoned but safe : sheltered but kept away from the outside world

    18. w’are

      we have

    19. grudge

      feeling of ill or resentment

    20. nay

      not

    21. spare

      a spare flea (?) another being in the same room as the two lovers

    22. alas

      expresses grief, pit, concern

    23. pampered

      spoiled, given great care and attention

    24. maidenhead

      virginity

    25. know’st

      (archaic) know

      "'st" is the old english version

    26. Thou

      you

    27. mingled

      mixed

    28. thee

      you (as an object)

    29. deniest

      deny

    30. thou

      you

    31. swells

      enlarges

    32. woo

      to seek the support of

    1. bed time

      bed time not as in sleeping time but as in sex time

    2. busy fools

      other men

    3. foe

      opponent

    4. foe

      ennemy

    5. oft-times

      often

    6. stopped there

      stopped from seeing the breasts, 'far fairer world'

    7. chime

      sound, melody

    8. fairer

      better

    9. nigh

      here : so close

    10. busk

      here : noise of pleasure, probably moan

    11. Unlace

      Unlacing the piece of clothing ; corset ?

    12. That th’

      (that you wear) so that the eyes...

    13. Unpin

      remove

    14. spangled

      decorated with a small thin piece of glittering material, typically sewn as one of many on clothing for decoration; a sequin

    15. encompassing

      surround and have or hold within

    16. Zone

      zone as in area, but why the Cap letter ?

    17. girdle

      an article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist

    18. Is tir’d with standing though he never fight.

      Donne is waiting standing for the woman to get undressed (fight refers to the sexual act)

    19. .

      End of our part