Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CHILD AN' THE MOWERS, by WILLIAM BARNES Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: O. Aye! They had woone child bezide Last Line: Aye! The zwath-flow'r's a-killed by the zun. Subject(s): Death - Children; Farm Life; Mowing & Mowers; Death - Babies; Agriculture; Farmers; Lawn Mowers | ||||||||
O, aye! they had woone child bezide, An' a finer your eyes never met, 'Twer a dear little fellow that died In the zummer that come wi' such het; By the mowers, too thoughtless in fun, He wer then a-zent off vrom our eyes, Vrom the light ov the dew-dryèn zun, Aye! vrom days under blue-hollow'd skies. He went out to the mowers in meäd, When the zun wer a-rose to his height, An' the men wer a-swingèn the sneäd, Wi' their eärms in white sleeves, left an' right; An' out there, as they rested at noon, O! they drench'd en vrom eäle-horns too deep, Till his thoughts wer a-drown'd in a swoon; Aye! his life wer a-smother'd in sleep. Then they laid en there-right on the ground, On a grass-heap, a-zweltrèn wi' het, Wi' his heäir all a-wetted around His young feäce, wi' the big drops o' zweat; In his little left palm he'd a-zet, Wi' his right hand, his vore-vinger's tip, As vor zome'hat he woulden vorget, Aye! zome thought that he woulden let slip. Then they took en in hwome to his bed, An' he rose vrom his pillow noo mwore, Vor the curls on his sleek little head To be blown by the wind out o' door. Vor he died while the haÿ russled grey On the staddle so leätely begun: Lik' the mown-grass a-dried by the day, Aye! the zwath-flow'r's a-killed by the zun. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LAST MOWING by ROBERT FROST AN OLD FIELD MOWED FOR APPEARANCES' SAKE by WILLIAM MEREDITH THE TUFT OF FLOWERS by ROBERT FROST LYING IN THE GRASS by EDMUND WILLIAM GOSSE A WINTER NIGHT by WILLIAM BARNES |
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