by Homer
Into the country far away, 215
She pulled out half a crown;
And thus unto the youth she said
That drove them to the Bell,
‘This shall be yours, when you bring back
My husband safe and well.’ 220
The youth did ride, and soon did meet
John coming back again:
Whom in a trice he tried to stop,
By catching at his rein;
But not performing what he meant, 225
And gladly would have done,
The frighted steed he frighted more,
And made him faster run.
Away went Gilpin, and away
Went postboy at his heels, 230
The postboy’s horse right glad to miss
The lumbering of the wheels.
Six gentlemen upon the road,
Thus seeing Gilpin fly,
With postboy scampering in the rear, 235
They raised the hue and cry:
‘Stop thief! stop thief! — a highwayman!’
Not one of them was mute;
And all and each that passed that way
Did join in the pursuit. 240
And now the turnpike gates again
Flew open in short space;
The toll-men thinking, as before,
That Gilpin rode a race.
And so he did, and won it too, 245
For he got first to town;
Nor stopped till where he had got up
He did again get down.
Now let us sing, Long live the King!
And Gilpin, long live he! 250
And when he next doth ride abroad
May I be there to see!
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Drinking Song
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816)
HERE’S to the maiden of bashful fifteen,
Here’s to the widow of fifty;
Here’s to the flaunting extravagant quean,
And here’s to the housewife that’s thrifty;
Chorus. Let the toast pass, 5
Drink to the lass,
I’ll warrant she’ll prove an excuse for the glass.
Here’s to the charmer, whose dimples we prize,
And now to the maid who has none, sir,
Here’s to the girl with a pair of blue eyes, 10
And here’s to the nymph with but one, sir.
Let the toast pass, etc.
Here’s to the maid with a bosom of snow,
And to her that’s as brown as a berry;
Here’s to the wife with a face full of woe, 15
And now to the girl that is merry:
Let the toast pass, etc.
For let’em be clumsy, or let’em be slim,
Young or ancient, I care not a feather;
So fill a pint bumper quite up to the brim, 20
And let us e’en toast them together.
Chorus. Let the toast pass,
Drink to the lass,
I’ll warrant she’ll prove an excuse for the glass.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Anna Laetitia Barbauld
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Life
Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743–1825)
LIFE! I know not what thou art,
But know that thou and I must part;
And when, or how, or where we met,
I own to me’s a secret yet.
But this I know, when thou art fled, 5
Where’er they lay these limbs, this head,
No clod so valueless shall be
As all that then remains of me.
O whither, whither, dost thou fly?
Where bend unseen thy trackless course? 10
And in this strange divorce,
Ah, tell where I must seek this compound I?
To the vast ocean of empyreal flame
From whence thy essence came
Dost thou thy flight pursue, when freed 15
From matter’s base encumbering weed?
Or dost thou, hid from sight,
Wait, like some spell-bound knight,
Through blank oblivious years th’ appointed hour
To break thy trance and reassume thy power? 20
Yet canst thou without thought or feeling be?
O say, what art thou, when no more thou’rt thee?
Life! we have been long together,
Through pleasant and through cloudy weather;
’Tis hard to part when friends are dear; 25
Perhaps ‘twill cost a sigh, a tear; —
Then steal away, give little warning,
Choose thine own time;
Say not Good-night, but in some brighter clime
Bid me Good-morning! 30
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Isobel Pagan
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes
Isobel Pagan (1741–1821)
CA’ the yowes to the knowes,
Ca’ them where the heather grows,
Ca’ them where the burnie rows,
My bonnie dearie.
As I gaed down the water side, 5
There I met my shepherd lad;
He row’d me sweetly in his plaid,
And he ca’d me his dearie.
‘Will ye gang down the water side,
And see the waves sae sweetly glide 10
Beneath the hazels spreading wide?
The moon it shines fu’ clearly.’
‘I was bred up at nae sic school,
My shepherd lad, to play the fool,
And a’ the day to sit in dool, 15
And naebody to see me.’
‘Ye sall get gowns and ribbons meet,
Cauf-leather shoon upon your feet,
And in my arms ye’se lie and sleep,
And ye sall be my dearie.’ 20
‘If ye’ll but stand to what ye’ve said,
I’se gang wi’ you, my shepherd lad,
And ye may row me in your plaid,
And I sall be your dearie.’
‘While waters wimple to the sea, 25
While day blinks in the lift sae hie,
Till clay-cauld death sall blin’ my e’e,
Ye aye sall be my dearie!’
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Lady Anne Lindsay
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Auld Robin Gray
Lady Anne Lindsay (1750–1825)
WHEN the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye at hame,
And a’ the warld to rest are gane,
The waes o’ my heart fa’ in showers frae my e’e,
While my gudeman lies sound by me.
Young Jamie lo’ed me weel, and sought me for his bride; 5
But saving a croun he had naething else beside:
To make the croun a pund, young Jamie gaed to sea;
And the croun and the pund were baith for me.
He hadna been awa’ a week but only twa,
When my father brak his arm, and the cow was stown awa; 10
My mother she fell sick, and my Jamie at the sea —
And auld Robin Gray came a-courtin’ me.
My father couldna work, and my mother couldna spin;
I toil’d day and night, but their bread I couldna win;
Auld Rob maintain’d them baith, and wi’ tears in his e’e 15
Said, Jennie, for their sakes, O,
marry me!
My heart it said nay; I look’d for Jamie back;
But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wrack;
His ship it was a wrack — why didna Jamie dee?
Or why do I live to cry, Wae’s me? 20
My father urgit sair: my mother didna speak;
But she look’d in my face till my heart was like to break:
They gi’ed him my hand, but my heart was at the sea;
Sae auld Robin Gray he was gudeman to me.
I hadna been a wife a week but only four, 25
When mournfu’ as I sat on the stane at the door,
I saw my Jamie’s wraith, for I couldna think it he
Till he said, I’m come hame to marry thee.
O sair, sair did we greet, and muckle did we say;
We took but ae kiss, and I bad him gang away; 30
I wish that I were dead, but I’m no like to dee;
And why was I born to say, Wae’s me!
I gang like a ghaist, and I carena to spin;
I daurna think on Jamie, for that wad be a sin;
But I’ll do my best a gude wife aye to be, 35
For auld Robin Gray he is kind unto me.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Thomas Chatterton
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Song from Ælla
Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770)
O SING unto my roundelay,
O drop the briny tear with me;
Dance no more at holyday,
Like a running river be:
My love is dead, 5
Gone to his death-bed
All under the willow-tree.
Black his cryne as the winter night,
White his rode as the summer snow,
Red his face as the morning light, 10
Cold he lies in the grave below:
My love is dead,
Gone to his death-bed
All under the willow-tree.
Sweet his tongue as the throstle’s note 15
Quick in dance as thought can be,
Deft his tabor, cudgel stout;
O he lies by the willow-tree!
My love is dead,
Gone to his death-bed 20
All under the willow-tree.
Hark! the raven flaps his wing
In the brier’d dell below;
Hark! the death-owl loud doth sing
To the nightmares, as they go: 25
My love is dead,
Gone to his death-bed
All under the willow-tree.
See! the white moon shines on high;
Whiter is my true-love’s shroud: 30
Whiter than the morning sky,
Whiter than the evening cloud:
My love is dead,
Gone to his death-bed
All under the willow-tree. 35
Here upon my true-love’s grave
Shall the barren flowers be laid;
Not one holy saint to save
All the coldness of a maid:
My love is dead, 40
Gone to his death-bed
All under the willow-tree.
With my hands I’ll dent the briers
Round his holy corse to gre:
Ouph and fairy, light your fires, 45
Here my body still shall be:
My love is dead,
Gone to his death-bed
All under the willow-tree.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
On the Last Epiphany (or Christ Coming To Judgment)
Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770)
Behold! just coming from above,
The judge, with majesty and love!
The sky divides, and rolls away,
T’admit him through the realms of day!
The sun, astonished, hides its face,
The moon and stars with wonder gaze
At Jesu’s bright superior rays!
Dread lightnings flash, and thunders roar,
And shake the earth and briny shore;
The trumpet sounds at heaven’s command,
And pierceth through the sea and land;
The dead in each now hear the voice,
The sinners fear and saints rejoice;
For now the awful hour is come,
When every tenant of the tomb
Must rise, and take his everlasting doom.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
A Hymn for Christmas Day
Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770)
Almighty Framer of the Skies!
O let our pure devotion rise,
Like Incense in thy Sight!
Wrapt in impenetrable Shade
The Texture of our Souls were made
Till thy Command gave light.
The Sun of Glory gleam’d the Ray,
Refin’d the Darkness into Day,
And bid the Vapours fly;
Impell’d by his eternal Love
He left his Palaces above
To cheer our gloomy Sky.
How shall we celebrate the day,
When God appeared in mortal clay,
The mark of worldly scorn;
When the Archangel’s heavenly Lays,
Attempted the Redeemer’s Praise
And hail’d Salvation’s Morn!
A Humble Form the Godhead wore,
The Pains of Poverty he bore,
To gaudy Pomp unknown;
Tho’ in a human walk he trod
Still was the Man Almighty God
In Glory all his own.
Despis’d, oppress’d, the Godhead bears
The Torments of this Vale of tears;
Nor bade his Vengeance rise;
He saw the Creatures he had made,
Revile his Power, his Peace invade;
He saw with Mercy’s Eyes.
How shall we celebrate his Name,
Who groan’d beneath a Life of shame
In all Afflictions tried!
The Soul is raptured to concieve
A Truth, which Being must believe,
The God Eternal died.
My Soul exert thy Powers, adore,
Upon Devotion’s plumage sar
To celebrate the Day;
The God from whom Creation sprung
Shall animate my grateful Tongue;
From him I’ll catch the Lay!
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Sly Dick
Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770)
Sharp was the frost, the wind was high
And sparkling stars bedeckt the sky
Sly Dick in arts of cunning skill’d,
Whose rapine all his pockets fill’d,
Had laid him down to take his rest
And soothe with sleep his anxious breast.
’Twas thus a dark infernal sprite
A native of the blackest night,
Portending mischief to devise
Upon Sly Dick he cast his eyes;
Then straight descends the infernal sprite,
And in his chamber does alight;
In visions he before him stands,
And his attention he commands.
Thus spake the sprite — hearken my friend,
And to my counsels now attend.
Within the garret’s spacious dome
There lies a well stor’d wealthy room,
Well stor’d with cloth and stockings too,
Which I suppose will do for you,
First from the cloth take thou a purse,
For thee it will not be the worse,
A noble purse rewards thy pains,
A purse to hold thy filching gains;
Then for the stockings let them re
eve
And not a scrap behind thee leave,
Five bundles for a penny sell
And pence to thee will come pell mell;
See it be done with speed and care
Thus spake the sprite and sunk in air.
When in the morn with thoughts erect
Sly Dick did on his dreams reflect,
Why faith, thinks he, ’tis something too,
It might — perhaps — it might be true,
I’ll go and see — away he hies,
And to the garret quick he flies,
Enters the room, cuts up the clothes
And after that reeves up the hose;
Then of the cloth he purses made,
Purses to hold his filching trade.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Robert Burns
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
My Heart’s In The Highlands
Robert Burns (1759-1796)
Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,
The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here;
