Skip to content
Linespedia

Caelia - Sonnet - 5

By William Browne

Topics: classic

Sing soft, ye pretty birds, while Clia sleeps,     And gentle gales play gently with the leaves;     Learn of the neighbour brooks, whose silent deeps     Would teach him fear, that her soft sleep bereaves     Mine oaten reed, devoted to her praise,     (A theme that would befit the Delphian lyre)     Give way, that I in silence may admire.     Is not her sleep like that of innocents,     Sweet as herself; and is she not more fair,     Almost in death, than are the ornaments     Of fruitful trees, which newly budding are?     She is, and tell it, Truth, when she shall lie     And sleep for ever, for she cannot die.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"Sing soft, ye pretty birds, while Clia sleeps,..."

William Browne's contribution to classic is further solidified by the brilliance found in "Caelia - Sonnet - 5"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:William Browne

"Sing soft, ye pretty birds, while Clia sleeps,..." by William Browne

For usage rights, copyright concerns, or to report an issue with this content, please visit our Copyright & Report page.

Related lines

"All.     Now that the Spring hath fill'd our veins     With kind and active fire,     And made green liv'ries for the plains,     And every g"

"Hail, thou my native soil! thou blessed plot     Whose equal all the world affordeth not!     Show me who can so many crystal rills,     Such s"

"Glide soft, ye silver floods,             And every spring:             Within the shady woods             Let no bird sing!         N"

"As (woo'd by May's delights) I have been borne     To take the kind air of a wistful morn     Near Tavy's voiceful stream (to whom I owe     Mo"

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

William Browne

About William Browne

William Browne is a distinguished poet whose works have shaped the landscape of English literature. Their poetry explores the depths of human emotion, nature, love, and philosophical thought through powerful and evocative verse. Readers continue to find solace, inspiration, and beauty in their timeless words.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

"All.     Now that the Spring hath fill'd our vein..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.