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God; whom we see not; is: and God; who is not; we see;

Fiddle; we know; is diddle; and diddle; we take it; is dee。



Algernon Charles Swinburne '1837…1909'





THE WILLOW…TREE

After Hood



Long by the willow…trees

Vainly they sought her;

Wild rang the mother's screams

O'er the gray water:

〃Where is my lovely one?

Where is my daughter?



〃Rouse thee; Sir Constable …

Rouse thee and look;

Fisherman; bring your net;

Boatman; your hook。

Beat in the lily…beds;

Dive in the brook!〃



Vainly the constable

Shouted and called her;

Vainly the fisherman

Beat the green alder;

Vainly he flung the net;

Never it hauled her!



Mother beside the fire

Sat; her nightcap in;

Father; in easy chair;

Gloomily napping;

When at the window…sill

Came a light tapping!



And a pale countenance

Looked through the casement。

Loud beat the mother's heart;

Sick with amazement;

And at the vision which

Came to surprise her;

Shrieked in an agony …

〃Lor'! it's Elizar!〃



Yes; 'twas Elizabeth …

Yes; 'twas their girl;

Pale was her cheek; and her

Hair out of curl。

〃Mother;〃 the loving one;

Blushing exclaimed;

〃Let not your innocent

Lizzy be blamed。



〃Yesterday; going to Aunt

Jones's to tea;

Mother; dear mother; I

Forgot the door…key!

And as the night was cold

And the way steep;

Mrs。 Jones kept me to

Breakfast and sleep。〃



Whether her Pa and Ma

Fully believed her;

That we shall never know;

Stern they received her;

And for the work of that

Cruel; though short; night

Sent her to bed without

Tea for a fortnight。



MORAL

Hey diddle diddlety;

Cat and the fiddlety;

Maidens of England; take caution by she!

Let love and suicide

Never tempt you aside;

And always remember to take the door…key。



William Makepeace Thackeray '1811…1863'





POETS AND LINNETS

After Robert Browning



Where'er there's a thistle to feed a linnet

And linnets are plenty; thistles rife …

Or an acorn…cup to catch dew…drops in it

There's ample promise of further life。

Now; mark how we begin it。



For linnets will follow; if linnets are minded;

As blows the white…feather parachute;

And ships will reel by the tempest blinded …

Aye; ships and shiploads of men to boot!

How deep whole fleets you'll find hid。



And we blow the thistle…down hither and thither

Forgetful of linnets; and men; and God。

The dew! for its want an oak will wither …

By the dull hoof into the dust is trod;

And then who strikes the cither?



But thistles were only for donkeys intended;

And that donkeys are common enough is clear;

And that drop! what a vessel it might have befriended;

Does it add any flavor to Glugabib's beer?

Well; there's my musing ended。



Tom Hood '1835…1874'





THE JAM…POT



The Jam…pot … tender thought!

I grabbed it … so did you。

〃What wonder while we fought

Together that it flew

In shivers?〃 you retort。



You should have loosed your hold

One moment … checked your fist。

But; as it was; too bold 

You grappled and you missed。

More plainly … you were sold。



〃Well; neither of us shared

 The dainty。〃  That your plea?

〃Well; neither of us cared;〃

I answer。 。 。 。 〃Let me see。

How have your trousers fared?〃



Rudyard Kipling '1865…1936'





BALLAD

After William Morris



Part I 

The auld wife sat at her ivied door;

(Butler and eggs and a pound of cheese)

A thing she had frequently done before;

And her spectacles lay on her aproned knees。



The piper he piped on the hill…top high;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

Till the cow said 〃I die;〃 and the goose asked 〃Why?〃

And the dog said nothing; but searched for fleas。



The farmer he strode through the square farmyard;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

His last brew of ale was a trifle hard …

The connection of which with the plot one sees。



The farmer's daughter hath frank blue eyes;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

She hears the rooks caw in the windy skies;

As she sits at her lattice and shells her peas。



The farmer's daughter hath ripe red lips;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

If you try to approach her; away she skips

Over tables and chairs with apparent ease。



The farmer's daughter hath soft brown hair;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

And I met with a ballad; I can't say where;

Which wholly consisted of lines like these。



Part II 

She sat; with her hands 'neath her dimpled cheeks;

(Butler and eggs and a pound of cheese)

And spake not a word。  While a lady speaks

There is hope; but she didn't even sneeze。



She sat; with her hands 'neath her crimson cheeks;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

She gave up mending her father's breeks;

And let the cat roll in her new chemise。



She sat; with her hands 'neath her burning cheeks;

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

And gazed at the piper for thirteen weeks;

Then she followed him out o'er the misty leas。



Her sheep followed her; as their tails did them。

(Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)

And this song is considered a perfect gem;

And as to the meaning; it's what you please。



Charles Stuart Calverley '1831…1884'





THE POSTER…GIRL

After Dante Gabriel Rossetti



The blessed Poster…girl leaned out

From a pinky…purple heaven;

One eye was red and one was green;

Her bang was cut uneven;

She had three fingers on her hand;

And the hairs on her head were seven。



Her robe; ungirt from clasp to hem;

No sunflowers did adorn;

But a heavy Turkish portiere

Was very neatly worn;

And the hat that lay along her back

Was yellow like canned corn。



It was a kind of wobbly wave

That she was standing on;

And high aloft she flung a scarf

That must have weighed a ton;

And she was rather tall … at least

She reached up to the sun。



She curved and writhed; and then she said; 

Less green of speech than blue:

〃Perhaps I am absurd … perhaps 

I don't appeal to you;

But my artistic worth depends 

Upon the point of view。〃



I saw her smile; although her eyes

Were only smudgy smears;

And then she swished her swirling arms;

And wagged her gorgeous ears; 

She sobbed a blue…and…green…checked sob;

And wept some purple tears。



Carolyn Wells '186? …





AFTER DILETTANTE CONCETTI

After Dante Gabriel Rossetti



〃Why do you wear your hair like a man;

Sister Helen?

This week is the third since you began。〃

〃I'm writing a ballad; be still if you can;

Little brother。

(O Mother Carey; mother!

What chickens are these between sea and heaven?)〃



〃But why does your figure appear so lean;

Sister Helen?

And why do you dress in sage; sage green?〃

〃Children should never be heard; if seen;

Little brother!

(O Mother Carey; mother!

What fowls are a…wing in the stormy heaven!)〃



〃But why is your face so yellowy white;

Sister Helen?

And why are your skirts so funnily tight?〃

〃Be quiet; you torment; or how can I write;

Little brother?

(O Mother Carey; mother!

How gathers thy train to the sea from the heaven!)〃



〃And who's Mother Carey; and what is her train;

Sister Helen?

And why do you call her again and again?〃

〃You troublesome boy; why that's the refrain;

Little brother。

(O Mother Carey; mother!

What work is toward in the startled heaven?)〃



〃And what's a refrain?  What a curious word;

Sister Helen!

Is the ballad you're writing about a sea…bird?〃

〃Not at all; why should it be?  Don't be absurd;

Little brother。

(O Mother Carey; mother!

Thy brood flies lower as lowers the heaven。)〃



(A big brother speaketh:)



〃The refrain you've studied a meaning had;

Sister Helen!

It gave strange force to a weird ballad。

But refrains have become a ridiculous 'fad';

Little brother。

And Mother Carey; mother;

Has a bearing on nothing in earth or heaven。



〃But the finical fashion has had its day;

Sister Helen。

And let's try in the style of a different lay

To bid it adieu in poetical way;

Little brother。

So; Mother Carey; mother!

Collect your chickens and go to … heaven。〃



(A pause。  Then the big brother singeth; accompanying himself

  in a plaintive wise on the triangle:)



〃Look in my face。  My name is Used…to…was;

I am also called Played…out and Done…to…death;

And It…will…wash…no…more。  Awakeneth

Slowly; but sure awakening it has;

The common…sense of man; and I; alas!

The ballad…burden trick; now known too well;

Am turned to scorn; and grown contemptible …

A too transparent artifice to pass。



〃What a cheap dodge I am!  The cats who dart

Tin…kettled through the streets in wild surprise

Assail judicious ears not otherwise;

And yet no critics praise the urchin's 'art';

Who to the wretched creature's caudal part

Its foolish empty…jingling 'burden' ties。〃



Henry Duff Traill '1842…1900'






IF

After Swinburne



If life were never bitter;

And love were always sweet;

Then who would care to borrow

A moral from to…morrow …

If Thames would always glitter;

And joy would ne'er retreat;

If life were never bitter;

And love were always sweet!



If care were not the waiter

Behind a fellow's chair;

When easy…going sinners

Sit down to Richmond dinners;

And life's swift stream flows straighter;

By Jove; it would be rare;

If care were not the waiter

Behind a fellow's chair。



If wit were always radiant;

And wine were always iced;

And bores were kicked out straightway

Through a convenient gateway;

Then down the year's long gradient

'Twere sad to be enticed;

If wit were always radiant;

And wine were always iced。



Mortimer Collins '1827…1876'





NEPHELIDIA

After Swinburne



From the depth of the dreamy decline of the dawn through

  a notable nimbus of nebulous noonshine;

Pallid and pink a

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