ROBERT HERRICK (1591–1674) WAS A 17TH-CENTURY ENGLISH CAVALIER POET, WHOSE WORK IS NOTED FOR ITS DIVERSITY OF FORM AND FOR ITS STYLE, MELODY, AND FEELING.
“Here we are all, by day; by night, we're hurled
By dreams, each one, into a several world.”
“A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;”
“Give me a kiss, and to that kiss a score;
Then to that twenty, add a hundred more:
A thousand to that hundred: so kiss on,
To make that thousand up a million.
Treble that million, and when that is done,
Let's kiss afresh, as when we first begun.”
“Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.”
“Love is a circle that doth restless move
In the same sweet eternity of love.”
“If little labour, little are our gains:
Man's fortunes are according to his pains.”
“Thou art my life, my love, my heart,
The very eyes of me;
And hast command of every part,
To live and die for thee.”
“And with our broth, and bread, and bits, sir friend,
You've fared well : pray make an end ;
Two days you've larded here ; a third, ye know,
Makes guests and fish smell strong ; pray go”
“Then this immensive cup
Of aromatic wine,
Catullus, I quaff up
To that terse muse of thine.”
“Attempt the end and never stand to doubt;
Nothing's so hard, but search will find it out.”
“HUMBLE we must be, if to heaven we go:
High is the roof there; but the gate is low.”
“But here's the sunset of a tedious day,
These two asleep are; I'll but be undrest,
And so to bed. Pray wish us all good rest.”
“Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon:
As yet the early-rising Sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a Spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay
As you, or any thing.”
“Tears are the noble language of eye;
And when true love of words is destitute,
The eye by tears speak, while the tongue is mute.”
“Bid me to live, and I will live
Thy Protestant to be,
Or bid me love, and I will give
A loving heart to thee.”
“Bid me despair, and I'll despair,
Under that cypress tree;
Or bid me die, and I will dare
E'en Death, to die for thee.”
“Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold;
New things succeed, as former things grow old.”
“'TIS not the food, but the content
That makes the table's merriment.”
“Here we are all, by day; by night, we're hurled
By dreams, each one, into a several world.”
~ Robert Herrick, Dreams
“A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction;”
~ Robert Herrick, Delight in Disorder
“Give me a kiss, and to that kiss a score;
Then to that twenty, add a hundred more:
A thousand to that hundred: so kiss on,
To make that thousand up a million.
Treble that million, and when that is done,
Let's kiss afresh, as when we first begun.”
~ Robert Herrick, To Anthea: Ah, My Anthea!
“Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.”
~ Robert Herrick, To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
“Love is a circle that doth restless move
In the same sweet eternity of love.”
~ Robert Herrick, Love, What It Is
“If little labour, little are our gains:
Man's fortunes are according to his pains.”
~ Robert Herrick, No Pains, No Gains
“Thou art my life, my love, my heart,
The very eyes of me;
And hast command of every part,
To live and die for thee.”
~ Robert Herrick, To Anthea, who may Command him Anything
“And with our broth, and bread, and bits, sir friend,
You've fared well : pray make an end ;
Two days you've larded here ; a third, ye know,
Makes guests and fish smell strong ; pray go”
~ Robert Herrick, A Panegyric To Sir Lewis Pemberton, 1891
“Then this immensive cup
Of aromatic wine,
Catullus, I quaff up
To that terse muse of thine.”
~ Robert Herrick, To Live Merrily and to Trust to Good Verses
“Attempt the end and never stand to doubt;
Nothing's so hard, but search will find it out.”
~ Robert Herrick, Seek and Find
“HUMBLE we must be, if to heaven we go:
High is the roof there; but the gate is low.”
~ Robert Herrick, Humility
“But here's the sunset of a tedious day,
These two asleep are; I'll but be undrest,
And so to bed. Pray wish us all good rest.”
~ Robert Herrick, Epitaph on the Tomb of Sir Edward Giles
“Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon:
As yet the early-rising Sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a Spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay
As you, or any thing.”
~ Robert Herrick, To Daffodils
“Tears are the noble language of eye;
And when true love of words is destitute,
The eye by tears speak, while the tongue is mute.”
~ Robert Herrick, Tears are Tongues
“Bid me to live, and I will live
Thy Protestant to be,
Or bid me love, and I will give
A loving heart to thee.”
~ Robert Herrick, To Anthea Who May Command Him Any Thing
“Bid me despair, and I'll despair,
Under that cypress tree;
Or bid me die, and I will dare
E'en Death, to die for thee.”
~ Robert Herrick, To Anthea Who May Command Him Any Thing
“Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold;
New things succeed, as former things grow old.”
~ Robert Herrick, Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve
“'TIS not the food, but the content
That makes the table's merriment.”
~ Robert Herrick, Content, Not Cates
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