{
 "id": "john-donne/variety",
 "title": "Variety",
 "ordinal": "Elegy XVII",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Donne",
 "poet_slug": "john-donne",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems, by J. D. with Elegies on the Authors Death",
 "book_slug": "poems-1650",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": "Elegies",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1650,
  "venue": "Poems, by J. D. with Elegies on the Authors Death (1650)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_poems-_donne-john_1650"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/john-donne_poetry",
  "file": "elegies.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsofjohndonne01donn_1",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemswithelegie00chamgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemswithelegie01chamgoog"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-15",
  "corrections": [
   {
    "line": 2,
    "field": "indent",
    "was": 0,
    "now": 2,
    "why": "Indentation absent from the source markup and measured from the scan: this line starts 5.4 character advances (~2.7 em) right of its own page's base margin, where the verse sets flush. Converted at 3.0 advances per indent level (tools/defects.py indent).",
    "checked_against": "https://archive.org/details/poemsofjohndonne01donn_1",
    "date": "2026-08-20"
   }
  ]
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 82,
  "n_stanzas": 1,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 54,
  "max_indent": 2
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The heavens rejoice in motion; why should I",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Abjure my so much loved variety,",
    "indent": 2
   },
   {
    "text": "And not with many youth and love divide?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Pleasure is none, if not diversified.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The sun that, sitting in the chair of light,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sheds flame into what else so ever doth seem bright,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Is not contented at one sign to inn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But ends his year, and with a new begin.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All things do willingly in change delight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The fruitful mother of our appetite;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Rivers the clearer and more pleasing are,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where their fair-spreading streams run wide and clear;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And a dead lake, that no strange bark doth greet,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Corrupts itself, and what doth live in it.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Let no man tell me such a one is fair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And worthy all alone my love to share.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nature in her hath done the liberal part",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of a kind mistress, and employed her art,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To make her lovable, and I aver",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Him not humane, that would turn back from her.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I love her well, and would, if need were, die,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To do her service. But follows it that I",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Must serve her only, when I may have choice?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The law is hard, and shall not have my voice.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The last I saw in all extremes is fair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And holds me in the sunbeams of her hair;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her nymph-like features such agreements have,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That I could venture with her to the grave.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Another’s brown; I like her not the worse;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her tongue is soft and takes me with discourse.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Others, for that they well descended were,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Do in my love obtain as large a share;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And though they be not fair, ’tis much with me",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To win their love only for their degree.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And though I fail of my required ends,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The attempt is glorious and itself commends.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "How happy were our sires in ancient time,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who held plurality of loves no crime.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With them it was accounted charity",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To stir up race of all indifferently;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Kindred were not exempted from the bands,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which with the Persian still in usage stands.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Women were then no sooner ask’d than won,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And what they did was honest and well done.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But since this little Honour hath been used,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our weak credulity hath been abused;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The golden laws of nature are repeal’d,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which our first fathers in such reverence held;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our liberty reversed and charters gone;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And we made servants to Opinion;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A monster in no certain shape attired,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And whose original is much desired,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Formless at first, but growing on its fashions,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And doth prescribe manners and laws to nations.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Here love received immedicable harms,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And was despoiled of his daring arms;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A greater want than is his daring eyes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He lost those awful wings with which he flies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His sinewy bow and those immortal darts,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With which he is wont to bruise resisting hearts.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Only some few, strong in themselves and free,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Retain the seeds of ancient liberty,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Following that part of love although depress’d,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet make a throne for him within their breast,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In spite of modern censures him avowing",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their sovereign, all service him allowing",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Amongst which troop although I am the least,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet equal in perfection with the best,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I glory in subjection of his hand,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor ever did decline his least command;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For in whatever form the message came",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My heart did open and receive the same,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But time will in his course a point descry",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When I this lovèd service must deny;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For our allegiance temporary is;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With firmer age returns our liberties.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "What time in years and judgment we reposed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Shall not so easily be to change disposed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor to the art of several eyes obeying,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But beauty with true worth securely weighing;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which being found assembled in someone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We’ll leave her ever, and love her alone.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}