Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AVARO, A TALE, by THOMAS WARTON THE ELDER Poet's Biography First Line: Fast by the trent (whose gods this fable tell) Last Line: So pride foretels we ne'er can need relief! Subject(s): Envy; Farm Life; Greed; Knights & Knighthood; Pride; Story-telling; Agriculture; Farmers; Avarice; Cupidity; Self-esteem; Self-respect | ||||||||
FAST by the Trent (whose Gods this Fable tell) A Knight in cooly Shades chose once to dwell; Secure, in what his prosp'rous Vices gain'd, Each Morn he vaunting view'd his Length of Land, His Hills of silver Chalk, his Vales of golden Sand. As on a Time, he lost his early Hounds Far from the Musick of the choral Sounds; Sudden he views some Shepherd's straw-built Cell, Rich in a Barn, a Hen-roost, and a Well; Then eye's the Swain, as to his Flock he calls, And whistling lures 'em from their hurdl'd Walls; Obedient to the Tune they trot along And careful single out their plaintive Young; With shorter Trips these bound upon the Plain, Start at the Knightbut play around their Swain. Their Swain observ'd how free they liv'd from Want, And wish'd himself from them could learn Content: In vain: a thousand Cares promote his Grief, So, (hailing first the Knight) he ask'd Relief: In vain; the Knight (tho' hail'd) refus'd to grant, And thought no Swain would condescend to want; Then told how well the rural Life was known, The rural Life preferring to his own; How oft himself would range a-down the Hill, And snuff the new-built Hay-cocks strawb'ry Smell, Well pleas'd to hear their Jests the drolling Rusticks tell. Nor less would'tend the Weanlings, when they play, And how himself was once the King of May; Then when the Swain but beg'd his present Aid, Lest Ills unseen his wint'ry Age invade, Courage! (said he) like Stars like Fate assign, Thy Life shall still from Want be free as mine. Unweeting Knight! he mourns his flying Bliss: All as Polycrates his Fate was his! For Heav'n averse rebuk'd such boastful Pride, And where he once the lowly Swain deny'd, Himself (alas the while!) begs now to be supply'd! So hard another's Want will win Belief! So Pride foretels we ne'er can need Relief! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ROCK AND HAWK by ROBINSON JEFFERS GODOLPHIN HORNE, WHO WAS CURSED WITH THE SIN OF PRIDE, AND BECAME A BOOT-BLACK by HILAIRE BELLOC PRIDE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON THE THIN EDGE OF YOUR PRIDE: 1 by KENNETH REXROTH PRIMER LESSON by CARL SANDBURG HAEC FABULA DOCET by ROBERT FROST VICTIM OF HIMSELF by MARVIN BELL A FAREWELL TO POETRY by THOMAS WARTON THE ELDER A FRAGMENT OF A SATIRE by THOMAS WARTON THE ELDER A PARAPHRASE ON THE 13TH CHAPTER OF ISAIAH by THOMAS WARTON THE ELDER |
|