“In Cyprus springs, whereas Dame Venus dwelt...” by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey Lyrics

Meaning of "“In Cyprus springs, whereas Dame Venus dwelt...”" by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

These lyrics plunge us into a dramatic, almost mythological scene in Cyprus, where two contrasting springs dictate the fate of love. The speaker describes being consumed by a "secret flame" from a hot well, while their beloved has tasted a chilling, venomous spring, leading to a devastating shift in affection. It's a tale of fervent passion meeting cold, inexplicable change. The speaker's experience with the hot well is one of overwhelming transformation. This isn't just love; it's a "moist poison" that dissolves hate, a "creeping fire" that oppresses, leaving the heart that once harbored freedom now impressed with "endless despair." The passion, initially described as kindling, quickly becomes an inescapable "thraldom," suggesting love's powerful grip can be both intoxicating and deeply confining. The true heartbreak arrives with the introduction of the second well, "so cold in frozen snow." Its "chilling venom of repugnant kind" directly quenches "Cupid's wound" and, more critically, "infects the mind" with "the spot of change." This stark contrast highlights the beloved's inexplicable shift from warmth to coldness, a change that feels like an illness or a corruption of the spirit, rather than a natural cooling. Ultimately, the lyrics are effective because they externalize the internal turmoil of unrequited love through vivid, almost allegorical imagery. The physical act of tasting these mythical waters makes the abstract pain of rejection feel tangible and inevitable. The speaker's passionate devotion, born of fire, is rendered futile by the beloved's chilling indifference, leaving "My service thus... grown into disdain."