Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE WHITE ROAD UP ATHIRT THE HILL, by WILLIAM BARNES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE WHITE ROAD UP ATHIRT THE HILL, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: When high hot zuns da strik right down
Last Line: The white roads up athirt the hills.
Subject(s): Wandering & Wanderers; Wanderlust; Vagabonds; Tramps; Hoboes


WHEN high hot zuns da strik right down,
An' burn our zweaty fiazen brown,
An' zunny hangèns that be nigh
Be back'd by hills so blue's the sky;
Then while the bells da sweetly cheem
Upon the champèn high-neck'd team
How lively, wi' a friend, da seem
The white road up athirt the hill.

The zwellèn downs, wi' chaky tracks,
A-climmèn up ther zunny backs,
Da hide green meäds, an' zedgy brooks,
An' clumps o' trees wi' glossy rooks,
An' hearty vo'ke to lafe and zing,
An' churches wi' ther bells to ring,
In parishes al in a string
Wi' white roads up athirt the hills.

At feäst, when uncle's vo'ke da come
To spend the da wi' we at huome,
An' we da put upon the buard
The best of al we can avvuord,
The wolden oons da ta'ke an' smoke,
An' younger oons da play an' joke,
An' in the evemen all our vo'ke
Da bring 'em gwáin athirt the hill.

Var then the green da zwarm wi' wold
An' young so thick as sheep in vuold.
The billis in the blacksmith's shop
An' mesh-green waterwheel da stop,
An' luonesome in the wheelwright's shed
's a-left the wheelless waggon bed,
While zwarms o' comen-friends da tread
The white road down athirt the hill.

An' when the winden road so white
A-climmèn up the hill in zight,
Da leäd to pliazen, east ar west
The vust a-know'd an' lov'd the best,
How touchèn in the zunsheen's glow
Ar in the shiades that clouds da drow
Upon the zunburn'd down below,
's the white road up athirt the hill.

What pirty hollers now the long
White roads da windy roun' among,
Wi' diary cows in woody nooks,
An' hâymiakers among their pooks,
An' housen that the trees da screen
Vrom zun an' zight by boughs o' green,
Young blushèn beauty's huomes between
The white roads up athirt the hills.





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