Eclogue X by Virgil
GALLUS This now, the very latest of my toils, Vouchsafe me, Arethusa! needs must I Sing a brief song to Gallus- brief, but yet Such as Lycoris’ self may fitly read. Who would not sing for Gallus? So, when thou Beneath Sicanian billows glidest on, May Doris blend no bitter wave with thine, Begin! The […]
Frogs Eat Butterflies, Snakes Eat Frogs, Hogs Eat Snakes, Men Eat Hogs by Wallace Stevens
It is true that the rivers went nosing like swine, Tugging at banks, until they seemed Bland belly-sounds in somnolent troughs, That the air was heavy with the breath of these swine, The breath of turgid summer, and Heavy with thunder’s rattapallax, That the man who erected this cabin, planted This field, and tended it […]
A Carol of Harvest, for 1867 by Walt Whitman
1 A SONG of the good green grass! A song no more of the city streets; A song of farms—a song of the soil of fields. A song with the smell of sun-dried hay, where the nimble pitchers handle the pitch-fork; A song tasting of new wheat, and of fresh-husk’d maize. 2 For the lands, […]
The Child and the Mariner by William Henry Davies
The Child and the Mariner by William Henry Davies A dear old couple my grandparents were, And kind to all dumb things; they saw in Heaven The lamb that Jesus petted when a child; Their faith was never draped by Doubt: to them Death was a rainbow in Eternity, That promised everlasting brightness soon. An […]
Cuchulan’s Fight With The Sea by William Butler Yeats
A man came slowly from the setting sun, To Emer, raddling raiment in her dun, And said, ‘I am that swineherd whom you bid Go watch the road between the wood and tide, But now I have no need to watch it more.’ Then Emer cast the web upon the floor, And raising arms all […]
The Madness Of King Goll by William Butler Yeats
I sat on cushioned otter-skin: My word was law from Ith to Emain, And shook at Inver Amergin The hearts of the world-troubling seamen, And drove tumult and war away From girl and boy and man and beast; The fields grew fatter day by day, The wild fowl of the air increased; And every ancient […]
I Saw a Chapel by William Blake
I saw a chapel all of gold That none did dare to enter in, And many weeping stood without, Weeping, mourning, worshipping. I saw a serpent rise between The white pillars of the door, And he forc’d and forc’d and forc’d, Down the golden hinges tore. And along the pavement sweet, Set with pearls and […]
Doomes-Day: The Tenth Houre by William Alexander
The Argument To this great Court, all come from every land, T’attend the sentence of their joy, or paine, And straight the blessed and the damned band, Are here to part, no more to meet againe; But first the wicked and the divell doe stand, Against Christs justice grudging, to complaine: Till both are straight […]
Doomes-Day: The Fifth Houre by William Alexander
The Argument A great Assemblie doth with state begin, And of some soules the processe is surveigh’d, So more to tax the Iews, and Christians sinne, Here in the ballance is before them layd, Each Ethnicks part to be compar’d, brought in In judgement now, their errors to upbraid: Yet all excuses, which such can […]
Doomes-Day: The Second Houre by William Alexander
The Argument That threatned time which must the world appall, Is (that all may amend) by signes fore-showne, Warres rumor’d are, the Gospell preach’d o’re all, Some Iewes convert, the Antichrist growes knowne: Divels rage, vice raignes, zeale cooles, faith failes, stars fall, All sorts of plagues have the last Trumpet blowne: And by prodigious […]
A Witch by William Barnes
There’s thik wold hag, Moll Brown, look zee, jus’ past! I wish the ugly sly wold witch Would tumble over into ditch; I woulden pull her out not very vast. No, no. I don’t think she’s a bit belied, No, she’s a witch, aye, Molly’s evil-eyed. Vor I do know o’ many a-withrèn blight A-cast […]
The Wold Waggon by William Barnes
The girt wold waggon uncle had, When I wer up a hardish lad, Did stand, a-screen’d vrom het an’ wet, In zummer at the barken geäte, Below the elems’ spreädèn boughs, A-rubb’d by all the pigs an’ cows. An’ I’ve a-clom his head an’ zides, A-riggèn up or jumpèn down A-plaÿèn, or in happy rides […]
“The Girt Woak Tree That’s In the Dell” by William Barnes
The girt woak tree that’s in the dell! There’s noo tree I do love so well; Vor times an’ times when I wer young, I there’ve a-climbed, an’ there’ve a-zwung, An’ picked the eacorns green, a-shed In wrestlen storms vrom his broad head. An’ down below’s the cloty brook Where I did vish with line […]
Eclogue:–The Times by William Barnes
_John an’ Tom._ JOHN. Well, Tom, how be’st? Zoo thou’st a-got thy neäme Among the leaguers, then, as I’ve a heärd. TOM. Aye, John, I have, John; an’ I ben’t afeärd To own it. Why, who woulden do the seäme? We shant goo on lik’ this long, I can tell ye. Bread is so high […]
Eclogue:–The ‘Lotments by William Barnes
_John and Richard._ JOHN. Zoo you be in your groun’ then, I do zee, A-workèn and a-zingèn lik’ a bee. How do it answer? what d’ye think about it? D’ye think ’tis better wi’ it than without it? A-recknèn rent, an’ time, an’ zeed to stock it, D’ye think that you be any thing in […]
Eclogue:–Racketèn Joe by William Barnes
_Racketèn Joe; his Sister; his Cousin Fanny; and the Dog._ RACKETÈN JOE. Heigh! heigh! here. Who’s about? HIS SISTER. Oh! lauk! Here’s Joe, a rantèn lout, A-meäkèn his wild randy-rout. RACKETÈN JOE. Heigh! Fanny! How d’ye do? (_slaps her._) FANNY. Oh! fie; why all the woo’se vor you A-slappèn o’ me, black an’ blue, My […]
Gadara, A.D. 31 by John Oxenham
Rabbi, begone! Thy powers Bring loss to us and ours. Our ways are not as Thine. Thou lovest men, we–swine. Oh, get you hence, Omnipotence, And take this fool of Thine! His soul? What care we for his soul? What good to us that Thou hast made him whole, Since we have lost our swine? […]
The Bowling-Green by William Somervile
Where fair Sabrina’s wandering currents flow, A large smooth plain extends its verdant brow; Here every morn, while fruitful vapours feed The swelling blade, and bless the smoking mead, A cruel tyrant reigns: like Time, the swain Whets his unrighteous scythe, and shaves the plain: Beneath each stroke the peeping flowers decay, And all the’ […]