Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ANGLER, by JOHN CHALKHILL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ANGLER, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Oh, the brave [or, gallant] fisher's life
Last Line: And to be lamented.
Subject(s): Fish & Fishing; Nature; Anglers


OH, the brave fisher's life,
It is the best of any,
'Tis full of pleasure, void of strife,
And 'tis beloved of many:
Other joys
Are but toys,
Only this
Lawful is,
For our skill
Breeds no ill,
But content and pleasure.

In a morning up we rise
Ere Aurora's peeping,
Drink a cup to wash our eyes,
Leave the sluggard sleeping;
Then we go
To and fro,
With our knacks
At our backs,
To such streams
As the Thames,
If we have the leisure.

When we please to walk abroad
For our recreation,
In the fields is our abode,
Full of delectation:
Where in a brook
With a hook,
Or a lake
Fish we take,
There we sit
For a bit,
Till we fish entangle.

We have gentles in a horn,
We have paste and worms too,
We can watch both night and morn,
Suffer rain and storms too:
None do here
Use to swear,
Oaths do fray
Fish away,
We sit still
Watch our quill,
Fishers must not wrangle.

If the sun's excessive heat
Makes our bodies swelter,
To an osier hedge we get
For a friendly shelter,
Where in a dike
Perch or pike,
Roach or dace
We do chase,
Bleak or gudgeon
Without grudging,
We are still contented.

Or we sometimes pass an hour
Under a green willow,
That defends us from a shower,
Making earth our pillow;
There we may
Think and pray
Before death
Stops our breath:
Other joys
Are but toys
And to be lamented.





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