OH, but life went gayly, gayly, In the house of Idiedaily! There were always throats to sing Down the river-banks with spring, When the stir of heart's desire Set the sapling's heart on fire. Bobolincolns in the meadows, Leisure in the purple shadows, Till the poppies without number Bowed their heads in crimson slumber, And the twilight came to cover Every unreluctant lover. Not a night but some brown maiden Bettered all the dusk she strayed in, While the roses in her hair Bankrupted oblivion there. Oh, but life went gayly, gayly, In the house of Idiedaily! But this hostelry, The Barrow, With its chambers, bare and narrow, Mean, ill-windowed, damp, and wormy, Where the silence makes you squirmy, And the guests are never seen to, Is a vile place, a mere lean-to, Not a traveller speaks well of, Even worse than I heard tell of, Mouldy, ramshackle, and foul. What a dwelling for a soul! Oh, but life went gayly, gayly, In the house of Idiedaily! There the hearth was always warm, From the slander of the storm. There your comrade was your neighbor, Living on to-morrow's labor. And the board was always steaming, Though Sir Ringlets might be dreaming. Not a plate but scoffed at porridge, Not a cup but floated borage. There were always jugs of sherry Waiting for the makers merry, And the dark Burgundian wine That would make a fool divine. Oh, but life went gayly, gayly, In the house of Idiedaily! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN THE SHADOWS: 19 by DAVID GRAY (1838-1861) A FRIEND'S SONG FOR SIMOISIUS by LOUISE IMOGEN GUINEY ALNWICK CASTLE by FITZ-GREENE HALLECK SEVEN TIMES THREE [ - LOVE] by JEAN INGELOW HYMN OF THE WEST by EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN THE DOOMED MAN by JOSEPH ADDISON ALEXANDER THE ART OF PRESERVING HEALTH: BOOK 4. THE PASSIONS by JOHN ARMSTRONG |