I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds and bowers:
Of April, May, of June, and July-flowers.
I sing of may-poles, hock-carts, wassails, wakes,
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal-cakes...
I write of groves, of twilights, and I sing
The Court of Mab, and of the Fairy King.
I write of Hell; I sing (and ever shall)
Of Heaven, and hope to have it after all.

                       from 'The Argument of His Book'

This selection makes available the full range of Robert Herrick's poetry: joyful eroticism, warm observations of rural life and shrewd epigrams, shadowed by an elegiac awareness of mortality and the fragility of beauty. The poems are animated by Herrick's humane and generous enjoyment of life, qualities that have made him one of the best-loved of English poets.

David Jesson-Dibley's selection of the most important of Herrick's poems is arranged thematically, providing an ideal introduction for readers new to Herrick, and a fresh perspective for those already familiar with his poetry. The introduction sets Herrick in the context of his times and contains suggestions for further reading.

Cover shows detail of applique valance from Hardwick Hall showing a fisherman, his dog and birds in a tree, copyright National Trust Photographic Library/John Hammond.

Table of Contents

Introduction



The Argument of his Book

On Himself

Upon his Verses

An Ode for Him (Ben Jonson)

Discontents in Devon

His Grange, or Private Wealth

To his Maid Prew

His Farewell to Sack

The Hock-Cart, or Harvest Home

His Age

The Welcome to Sack

The Bad Season Makes the Poet Sad

The Christian Militant

The Departure of the Good Demon

Upon Sibb. Epigram

Upon Slouch

The Coming of Good Luck

Farewell Frost, or Welcome to the Spring

To Dean-Bourn, a Rude River in Devon

His Return to London

Upon Man

Soft Music

The Cheat of Cupid

The Bag of the Bee

The Amber Bead

The Definition of Beauty

Love, What it is

Lovers, How they Come and Part

No Bashfulness in Begging

Love me Little, Love me Long

What Kind of Mistress he would have

The Suspicion

To his Mistress, Objecting to him neither Toying or Talking

His Parting from Mistress Dorothy Kennedy

The Parting Verse

The Tear Sent to her from Staines

Upon a Painted Gentlewoman

Mistress Elizabeth Wheeler

The Lily in a Crystal

Delight in Disorder

Upon his Julia

Upon Julia's Voice

Cherry Ripe

Art Above Nature, to Julia

Upon Julia's Clothes

Julia's Petticoat

A Ring Presented to Julia

Tears are Tongues

His Sailing from Julia

The Night-Piece, to Julia

Upon Julia's Recovery

His Request to Julia

Glory

To Enjoy the Time

Poets

His Protestation to Perilla

The Vision of Electra

To Anthea

To Anthea Lying in Bed

To Anthea, who may Command him Any Thing

To Phyllis, to Love and Live with him

To Dianeme

To Sylvia to Wed

A Nuptial Song, or Epithalamy

Corinna's Going a-Maying

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

A Meditation for his Mistress

To Daffodils

To Blossoms

The Sadness of things for Sappho's Sickness

The Changes to Corinna

To a Gentlewoman, Objecting to him his Gray Hairs

To Perilla

To Anthea

Upon the Loss of his Mistresses

The Apparition of his Mistress Calling him to Elysium

The Parting Verse, the Feast there Ended

Upon a Child. An Epitaph

Upon a Child that Died

To his Dying Brother, Master William Herrick

To the Reverend Shade of his Religious Father

To Find God

What God Is

Good Friday: Rex Tragicus, or Christ Going to His Cross

His Anthem to Christ on the Cross

God's Mercy

To his Sweet Saviour

Poetry Perpetuates the Poet

Upon Himself

His Winding-Sheet

His Poetry his Pillar

To Laurels

Upon Himself

To his book's end