A poem from Lady Jane Grey

When 15 year old King Edward VI was dying he nominated his cousin Lady Jane Grey to succeed him on the throne of England, therefore invalidating the claims of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Lady Jane reluctantly took the throne, only to be ousted by Mary and her followers after nine days of rule, she was convicted of high treason and executed.



Lady Jane Grey Dudley (Helena Bonham Carter) and Guilford Dudley
as portrayed in the 1986 film 'Lady Jane'

Lady Jane, who is commonly referred to as the 'Nine Days' Queen' is one of those historical figures I really admire, she was such a steadfast and inspirational person. She was only 16 or 17 at the time of her execution however she never gave into the pressure to change what she believed in.

This beautiful yet tragic poem below was written by Lady Jane, four days before she was executed:

Observing eyes watch over me,

They witness my 'woeful days',

But change; they will not see.

I will be strong unto the end,

My spirit is low, but my will is high.

The Quene has condemned me,

Mine, simple body,

Sentenced to die.



They persist on their faith,

To beguile me,

Endeavouring to dissuade me from mine.

Thou puppet never again will I be,

Am wilful,
I decline.





A little something from John Keats....

Should Disappointment, parent of Despair,
Strive for her son to seize my careless heart;
When, like a cloud, he sits upon the air,
Preparing on his spell-bound prey to dart:
Chase him away, sweet Hope, with visage bright,
And fright him as the morning frightens night!



John Keats- as played by Ben Whishaw
in the film "Bright Star"



I love this third stanza of his poem - "To Hope". The whole poem is beautiful and if you would like I am happy to either post the entire poem or email it to you.

If your a fan of Keats' work I encourage you to watch the film "Bright Star" (2009). I will post a review on this film within the next week or so, so keep checking back for more information on this film. 

God Bless