Skip to content
Linespedia

Love And Life

By John Wilmot

Topics: classic

All my past life is mine no more, The flying hours are gone, Like transitory dreams giv'n o'er, Whose images are kept in store By memory alone. The time that is to come is not; How can it then be mine? The present moment's all my lot; And that, as fast as it is got, Phyllis, is only thine. Then talk not of inconstancy, False hearts, and broken vows; If I, by miracle, can be This live-long minute true to thee, 'Tis all that Heav'n allows.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"All my past life is mine no more,..."

"Love And Life" is a quintessential example of John Wilmot's signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:John Wilmot

"All my past life is mine no more,..." by John Wilmot

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

Related lines

"My light thou art, without thy glorious sight My eyes are darkened with eternal night; My Love, thou art my way, my life, my light. Thou art my wa"

"Much wine had passed, with grave discourse Of who f*cks who, and who does worse (Such as you usually do hear From those that diet at the Bear), Wh"

"Why dost thou shade thy lovely face? O why Does that eclipsing hand of thine deny The sunshine of the Sun's enlivening eye? Without thy light what"

"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"

John Wilmot

About John Wilmot

John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647–1680), was an English poet and courtier known for his satirical and libertine verse. His poems—including "A Satire Against Reason and Mankind" and "The Imperfect Enjoyment"—combine intellectual brilliance with provocative honesty.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

"My light thou art, without thy glorious sight My e..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

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