Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE BALLAD OF THE BEGGAR, by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE BALLAD OF THE BEGGAR, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The starlings fly in the windy sky
Last Line: If I had a horse to ride!
Alternate Author Name(s): Dobson, Austin
Subject(s): Begging & Beggars


THE starlings fly in the windy sky,
The rabbits run out a-row,
The pheasants stalk in the stubble dry,
As I tramp in the evenglow, --
As I tramp, tramp, tramp, and grow
More weary at every stride,
And think, as the riders pass and go --
If I had a horse to ride!

The Farmer trots by on his roadster high,
The Squire on his pony low;
Young Miss sweeps out from the Park-Gate nigh,
And canters away with her beau: --
They are proud of themselves, I trow,
But couldn't I too show pride?
And couldn't I too cut a dash and show,
If I had a horse to ride?

The Farmer is four times as fat as I,
The Squire he is blind and slow;
Young Miss has not nearly so bright an eye
As Bess at the 'Barley Mow'; --
Ah, wouldn't I cry 'Gee-hup, Gee-ho,'
And wouldn't I bang his side,
And wouldn't I teach him to gallop it though,
If I had a horse to ride!

ENVOY.

It was only a Beggar that grumbled so,
As his blistered feet he eyed;
But the cry is a cry that we all of us know --
If I had a horse to ride!





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