The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is often remembered for his sprawling histories and tragic dramas, yet his shorter lyrical works reveal a different facet of his genius.…
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William Shakespeare is often remembered for his sprawling histories and tragic dramas, yet his shorter lyrical works reveal a different facet of his genius. The Phoenix and the Turtle stands apart from his narrative output as a dense metaphysical elegy that challenges the reader to look beyond conventional storytelling. Published in the early seventeenth century, this poem functions less as a tale and more as a ceremonial lament. It invites us to witness a ritual of mourning beneath an Arabian tree, where mythical birds gather to honor a union that has transcended the mortal plane. The piece explores the tension between reason and idealized love. It presents a vision of constancy so absolute that it defies logical explanation. As you listen to the audiobook and follow the text, consider how Shakespeare uses precise meter and intricate rhyme to build a sense of solemnity. The work does not seek to entertain with plot twists but rather to provoke deep contemplation about the nature of truth and unity. It is a quiet masterpiece that rewards slow, attentive reading. Let the rhythm of the verse guide you through its philosophical depths.
Summary generated by AI model Qwen 3
Public domain & narration
The Phoenix and the Turtle was first published in 1601. Works first published before 1931 are in the public domain in the United States, so the text is free to read, share and adapt.
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Let the bird of loudest lay, On the sole Arabian tree, Herald sad and trumpet be, To whose sound chaste wings obey.
But thou shrieking harbinger, Foul precurrer of the fiend, Augur of the fever's end, To this troop come thou not near!
From this session interdict Every fowl of tyrant wing, Save the eagle, feather'd king: Keep the obsequy so strict.
Let the priest in surplice white, That defunctive music can, Be the death-divining swan, Lest the requiem lack his right.
And thou treble-dated crow, That thy sable gender makest With the breath thou givest and takest, 'Mongst our mourners shalt thou go.
Here the anthem doth commence: Love and constancy is dead; Phoenix and the turtle fled In a mutual flame from hence.
So they loved, as love in twain Had the essence but in one; Two distincts, division none: Number there in love was slain.
Hearts remote, yet not asunder; Distance, and no space was seen 'Twixt the turtle and his queen: But in them it were a wonder.
So between them love did shine, That the turtle saw his right Flaming in the phoenix' sight; Either was the other's mine.
Property was thus appalled, That the self was not the same; Single nature's double name Neither two nor one was called.
Reason, in itself confounded, Saw division grow together, To themselves yet either neither, Simple were so well compounded,
That it cried, How true a twain Seemeth this concordant one! Love hath reason, reason none, If what parts can so remain.
Whereupon it made this threne To the phoenix and the dove, Co-supremes and stars of love, As chorus to their tragic scene.
THRENOS.
Beauty, truth, and rarity, Grace in all simplicity, Here enclosed in cinders lie.
Death is now the phoenix' nest And the turtle's loyal breast To eternity doth rest,
Leaving no posterity: 'Twas not their infirmity, It was married chastity.
Truth may seem, but cannot be: Beauty brag, but 'tis not she; Truth and beauty buried be.
To this urn let those repair That are either true or fair For these dead birds sigh a prayer.