A Feaver

John Donne

1572 to 1631

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Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

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The whole world vapors with thy breath.
Are unchangeable firmament.
But yet thou canst not die, I know; 
To fuell such a feaver long. 
Nor long beare this torturing wrong,
Or if, when thou, the worlds soule, go'st,
When I remember, thou wast one.
O wrangling schooles, that search what fire
All women so, when thou art gone,
But corrupt wormes, the worthyest men.
These burning fits but meteors bee,
For much corruption needfull is
Yet 'twas of my minde, seising thee, 
Oh doe not die, for I shall hate
Shall burne this world, had none the wit
And yet she cannot wast by this,
That thee I shall not celebrate,
It stay, 'tis but thy carkasse then, 
Of thee one houre, then all else ever.
That this her feaver might be it?
The fairest woman, but thy ghost,
But when thou from this world wilt goe,
Though it in thee cannot perséver;
For I had rather owner bee
Unto this knowledge to aspire, 
To leave this world behinde, is death,
Whose matter in thee is soone spent.
Thy beauty, and all parts, which are thee,