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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE MALTWORM'S MADRIGAL by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON

Poet Analysis

First Line: I DRINK OF THE ALE OF SOUTHWARK, I DRINK OF THE ALE OF CHEPE
Last Line: FOR WHEN MY TONGUE IS LOOSED MOST, THEN MOST I LOSE MY SPEECH.
Subject(s): ALCOHOLISM & ALCOHOLICS; BEER; DRINKS & DRINKING; DRUNKARDS; ALCOHOL ABUSE; ALE; WINE;
I DRINK of the Ale of Southwark, I drink of the Ale of Chepe;
At noon I dream on the settle; at night I cannot sleep;
For my love, my love it groweth; I waste me all the day;
And when I see sweet Alison, I know not what to say.

The sparrow when he spieth his Dear upon the tree,
He beateth-to his little wing; he chirketh lustily;
But when I see sweet Alison, the words begin to fail;
I wot that I shall die of Love -- an I die not of Ale.

Her lips are like the muscadel; her brows are black as ink;
Her eyes are bright as beryl stones that in the tankard wink;
But when she sees me coming, she shrilleth out -- 'Te-Hee!
Fye on thy ruddy nose, Cousin, what lackest thou of me?'

'Fye on thy ruddy nose, Cousin! Why be thine eyes so small?
Why go thy legs tap-lappetty like men that fear to fall?
Why is thy leathern doublet besmeared with stain and spot?
Go to. Thou art no man (she saith) -- thou art a Pottle-pot!'

'No man,' i'faith. 'No man!' she saith. And 'Pottle-pot' thereto!
'Thou sleepest like our dog all day; thou drink'st as fishes do.'
I would that I were Tibb the dog; he wags at her his tail;
Or would that I were fish, in truth, and all the sea were Ale!

So I drink of the Ale of Southwark, I drink of the Ale of Chepe;
All day I dream in the sunlight; I dream and eke I weep,
But little lore of loving can any flagon teach,
For when my tongue is loosed most, then most I lose my speech.



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