Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MELHILL FEAST, by WILLIAM BARNES


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MELHILL FEAST, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Aye there, at the feast, by melhill's brow
Last Line: Moon upon moon, an' year by year.
Subject(s): Country Life; Feasts; Festivals; Hope; Love; Marriage; Time; Fairs; Pageants; Optimism; Weddings; Husbands; Wives


Aye there, at the feäst by Melhill's brow,
So softly below the clouds in flight,
Did glide on the wood the sheäde an' light,
Tree after tree, an' bough by bough.

An' there, as among the crowd I took
My wanderèn way, bwoth to an' fro,
Vull comely wer sheäpes the day did show,
Feäce upon feäce, an' look by look.

An' there, among maïdens left an' right,
On oone o' the feäirest I did zet
My looks all the mwore the mwore we met,
Glance upon glance, an' zight by zight.

The way she'd a-come by then wer soon
The happiest road that I did goo,
By glitterèn gossamer or dew,
Evenèn by evenèn, moon by moon.

Along by the doors o' maïdens feäir,
As feäir as the best till she is nigh,
Though now I can heedless pass em by,
Oone after oone, or peäir by peäir.

Vust by the orcha'ds dim an' cool,
An' then along Woodcombe's timber'd zide,
Then by the meäds, where streäms do glide,
Shallow by shallow, pool by pool.

An' then to the house, a-zet alwone,
Wi' rwoses a-hung on pworch an' wall,
Where up by the bridge the stream do vall,
Rock under rock, an' stwone by stwone.

Sweet wer the hopes that then did cheer
My heart as I thought on times to come,
Wi' her vor to bless my happy hwome,
Moon upon moon, an' year by year.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net