Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE OLD LAMENT, by FORD MADOX FORD Poet's Biography First Line: What maketh lads so cruel be? Last Line: And never once look back! Alternate Author Name(s): Hueffer, Ford Hermann; Hueffer, Ford Madox Subject(s): Lament; Sailing & Sailors; Seamen; Sails | ||||||||
WHAT maketh lads so cruel be? Amid the spume and wrack. They pass the door and put to sea, And never more come back. The grey, salt wind winds down the wave, The galleon flouts the bay, And cobles and coggers are raising their sails: God keep 'ee down on the quay! With a hoist at thy tackles, a haul at thy blocks, And a hail to a hastening crew. He'll take 'ee Who gave 'ee thy goldilocks Ere I pardon thine eyes o' blue. Not once to ha' lookèd within my hood! Nor guessed I quailed on the strand Wi' thee in the boats! Thro' my pent-up door I ha' kissed to 'ee my hand. They'll rive thy keel wi' their cannon shocks, And sink 'ee and all thy crew; And they'll leave to the raven and cliff-homed fox Thy kindly eyes o' blue. Why need 'ee pass my open door Each breaking o' the day? What made 'ee take that selfsame path And never another way? I'll find 'ee stretched on the grinding rocks With a Frenchman's shot shot through, And the mermaid's weed from thy goldilocks Across thine eyes o' blue. What made 'ee lad, so cruel be? Amid the spume and wrack, To pass the door and put to sea And never once look back! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SAILS OF MURMUR by ANSELM HOLLO THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE TOM BOWLING ['S EPITAPH] by CHARLES DIBDIN HOW'S MY BOY? by SYDNEY THOMPSON DOBELL LOVE AT SEA by THEOPHILE GAUTIER |
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