Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


A WOOD SONG by RALPH HODGSON

Poet Analysis

First Line: NOW ONE AND ALL, YOU ROSES
Last Line: NO LESS THAN LABOURING SEAS.
Subject(s): IDLENESS; MORNING; LAZINESS; SLOTH; INDOLENCE;

Now one and all, you roses,
Wake up, you lie too long!
This very morning closes
The Nightingale his song;

Each from its olive chamber
His babies every one
This very morning clamber
Into the shining sun.

You Slug-a-beds and Simples,
Why will you so delay!
Dears, doff your olive wimples,
And listen while you may.

Reason has moons, but moons not hers,
Lie mirro'r on her sea,
Confounding her astronomers,
But, O! delighting me.

Babylon -- where I go dreaming
When I weary of to-day,
Weary of a world grown gray.

God loves an idle rainbow,
No less than labouring seas.



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