The Hock-cart, Or Harvest Home:to The Right Honourable Mildmay, Earl Of Westmorland Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCD EEFFGGHHIIJJKKLFFFFM NOOPPQQFRSRTTUUVWFFF XXYYZZA2A2B2| Come Sons of Summer by whose toil | A |
| We are the lords of wine and oil | A |
| By whose tough labours and rough hands | B |
| We rip up first then reap our lands | B |
| Crown'd with the ears of corn now come | C |
| And to the pipe sing Harvest Home | D |
| - | |
| Come forth my lord and see the cart | E |
| Drest up with all the country art | E |
| See here a maukin there a sheet | F |
| As spotless pure as it is sweet | F |
| The horses mares and frisking fillies | G |
| Clad all in linen white as lilies | G |
| The harvest swains and wenches bound | H |
| For joy to see the Hock Cart crown'd | H |
| About the cart hear how the rout | I |
| Of rural younglings raise the shout | I |
| Pressing before some coming after | J |
| Those with a shout and these with laughter | J |
| Some bless the cart some kiss the sheaves | K |
| Some prank them up with oaken leaves | K |
| Some cross the fill horse some with great | L |
| Devotion stroke the home borne wheat | F |
| While other rustics less attent | F |
| To prayers than to merriment | F |
| Run after with their breeches rent | F |
| Well on brave boys to your lord's hearth | M |
| Glitt'ring with fire where for your mirth | N |
| Ye shall see first the large and chief | O |
| Foundation of your feast fat beef | O |
| With upper stories mutton veal | P |
| And bacon which makes full the meal | P |
| With sev'ral dishes standing by | Q |
| As here a custard there a pie | Q |
| And here all tempting frumenty | F |
| And for to make the merry cheer | R |
| If smirking wine be wanting here | S |
| There's that which drowns all care stout beer | R |
| Which freely drink to your lord's health | T |
| Then to the plough the common wealth | T |
| Next to your flails your fanes your vats | U |
| Then to the maids with wheaten hats | U |
| To the rough sickle and crookt scythe | V |
| Drink frolic boys till all be blythe | W |
| Feed and grow fat and as ye eat | F |
| Be mindful that the lab'ring neat | F |
| As you may have their fill of meat | F |
| And know besides ye must revoke | X |
| The patient ox unto the yoke | X |
| And all go back unto the plough | Y |
| And harrow though they're hang'd up now | Y |
| And you must know your lord's word's true | Z |
| Feed him ye must whose food fills you | Z |
| And that this pleasure is like rain | A2 |
| Not sent ye for to drown your pain | A2 |
| But for to make it spring again | B2 |
Robert Herrick
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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