Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BUDMOUTH DEARS, by THOMAS HARDY



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BUDMOUTH DEARS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: When we lay where budmouth beach is
Last Line: Down?
Variant Title(s): Hussar's Song
Subject(s): Soldiers


WHEN we lay where Budmouth Beach is,
O the girls were fresh as peaches
With their tall and tossing figures and their eyes of blue
and brown!
And our hearts would ache with longing
As we paced from our sing-songing
With a smart Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and down.

They distracted and delayed us
By the pleasant pranks they played us,
And what marvel, then, if troopers, even of regiments of
renown,
On whom flashed those eyes divine, O,
Should forget the countersign, O,
As we tore Clink! Clink! back to camp above the town.

Do they miss us much, I wonder,
Now that war has swept us sunder,
And we roam from where the faces smile to where the
faces frown?
And no more behold the features
Of the fair fantastic creatures,
And no more Clink! Clink! past the parlours of the
town?

Shall we once again there meet them?
Falter fond attempts to greet them?
Will the gay sling-jacket glow again beside the muslin
gown? --
Will they archly quiz and con us
With a sideway glance upon us,
While our spurs Clink! Clink! up the Esplanade and
down?




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