Mr. Herrick: His Daughter's Dowry Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEBBFGBBHHBBII JJKKLLMMNNBBBBOOOOOO KOOOOOPPLLBBQQRRSOTT QQQOBBUUVVOOWWXXYYBB OOBBBBBBKOOOOOKBQQZA 2B2C2BBD2D2E2E2| Ere I go hence and be no more | A |
| Seen to the world I'll give the score | A |
| I owe unto a female child | B |
| And that is this a verse enstyled | B |
| My daughter's dowry having which | C |
| I'll leave thee then completely rich | C |
| Instead of gold pearl rubies bonds | D |
| Long forfeit pawned diamonds | E |
| Or antique pledges house or land | B |
| I give thee this that shall withstand | B |
| The blow of ruin and of chance | F |
| These hurt not thine inheritance | G |
| For 'tis fee simple and no rent | B |
| Thou fortune ow'st for tenement | B |
| However after times will praise | H |
| This portion my prophetic bays | H |
| Cannot deliver up to th' rust | B |
| Yet I keep peaceful in my dust | B |
| As for thy birth and better seeds | I |
| Those which must grow to virtuous deeds | I |
| Thou didst derive from that old stem | J |
| Love and mercy cherish them | J |
| Which like a vestal virgin ply | K |
| With holy fire lest that it die | K |
| Grow up with milder laws to know | L |
| At what time to say aye or no | L |
| Let manners teach thee where to be | M |
| More comely flowing where less free | M |
| These bring thy husband like to those | N |
| Old coins and medals we expose | N |
| To th' show but never part with Next | B |
| As in a more conspicuous text | B |
| Thy forehead let therein be sign'd | B |
| The maiden candour of thy mind | B |
| And under it two chaste born spies | O |
| To bar out bold adulteries | O |
| For through these optics fly the darts | O |
| Of lust which set on fire our hearts | O |
| On either side of these quick ears | O |
| There must be plac'd for seasoned fears | O |
| Which sweeten love yet ne'er come nigh | K |
| The plague of wilder jealousy | O |
| Then let each cheek of thine entice | O |
| His soul as to a bed of spice | O |
| Where he may roll and lose his sense | O |
| As in a bed of frankincense | O |
| A lip enkindled with that coal | P |
| With which love chafes and warms the soul | P |
| Bring to him next and in it show | L |
| Love's cherries from such fires grow | L |
| And have their harvest which must stand | B |
| The gathering of the lip not hand | B |
| Then unto these be it thy care | Q |
| To clothe thy words in gentle air | Q |
| That smooth as oil sweet soft and clean | R |
| As is the childish bloom of bean | R |
| They may fall down and stroke as the | S |
| Beams of the sun the peaceful sea | O |
| With hands as smooth as mercy's bring | T |
| Him for his better cherishing | T |
| That when thou dost his neck ensnare | Q |
| Or with thy wrist or flattering hair | Q |
| He may a prisoner there descry | Q |
| Bondage more loved than liberty | O |
| A nature so well formed so wrought | B |
| To calm and tempest let be brought | B |
| With thee that should he but incline | U |
| To roughness clasp him like a vine | U |
| Or like as wool meets steel give way | V |
| Unto the passion not to stay | V |
| Wrath if resisted over boils | O |
| If not it dies or else recoils | O |
| And lastly see you bring to him | W |
| Somewhat peculiar to each limb | W |
| And I charge thee to be known | X |
| By n'other face but by thine own | X |
| Let it in love's name be kept sleek | Y |
| Yet to be found when he shall seek | Y |
| It and not instead of saint | B |
| Give up his worth unto the paint | B |
| For trust me girl she over does | O |
| Who by a double proxy woos | O |
| But lest I should forget his bed | B |
| Be sure thou bring a maidenhead | B |
| That is a margarite which lost | B |
| Thou bring'st unto his bed a frost | B |
| Or a cold poison which his blood | B |
| Benumbs like the forgetful flood | B |
| Now for some jewels to supply | K |
| The want of earrings' bravery | O |
| For public eyes take only these | O |
| Ne'er travelled for beyond the seas | O |
| They're nobly home bred yet have price | O |
| Beyond the far fet merchandise | O |
| Obedience wise distrust peace shy | K |
| Distance and sweet urbanity | B |
| Safe modesty lov'd patience fear | Q |
| Of offending temperance dear | Q |
| Constancy bashfulness and all | Z |
| The virtues less or cardinal | A2 |
| Take with my blessing and go forth | B2 |
| Enjewelled with thy native worth | C2 |
| And now if there a man be found | B |
| That looks for such prepared ground | B |
| Let him but with indifferent skill | D2 |
| So good a soil bestock and till | D2 |
| He may ere long have such a wife | E2 |
| Nourish in's breast a tree of life | E2 |
Robert Herrick
(1)
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