Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE MASQUE OF AUGURS: BALLAD, by BEN JONSON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Though it may seem rude Last Line: And the beggars shall give ye room. | ||||||||
Though it may seem rude For me to intrude, With these my bears, by chance-a; 'Twere sport for a king, If they could sing As well as they can dance-a. Then to put you out Of fear or doubt, We came from St Katherine-a; These dancing three, By the help of me, Who am the post of the sign-a. We sell good ware, And we need not care Though court and country knew it; Our ale's of the best, And each good guest Prays for the soul that brew it. For any ale-house, We care not a louse, Nor tavern in all the town-a; Nor the Vintry Cranes, Nor St Clement Danes, Nor the Devil can put us down-a. Who has once there been, Comes hither again, The liquor is so mighty; Beer strong and stale, And so is our ale, And it burns like aqua-vitae. To a stranger there, If any appear, Where never before he has been: We show the iron gate, The wheel of St Kate, And the place where the priest fell in. The wives of Wapping, They trudge to our tapping, And there our ale desire: And they sit and drink, Till they spew and stink, And often piss out our fire. From morning to night, And about to daylight, They sit, and never grudge it; Till the fishwives join Their single coin, And the tinker pawns his budget. If their brains be not well, Or their bladders do swell, To ease them of their burden, My lady will come With a bowl and a broom, And her handmaid with a jordan. From court we invite Lord, lady, and knight, Squire, gentleman, yeoman, and groom; And all our stiff drinkers, Smiths, porters, and tinkers, And the beggars shall give ye room. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A CELEBRATION OF CHARIS: 4. HER TRIUMPH by BEN JONSON A CELEBRATION OF CHARIS: 5. HIS DISCOURSE WITH CUPID by BEN JONSON A FIT OF RHYME AGAINST RHYME [OR, RIME] by BEN JONSON A NYMPH'S PASSION by BEN JONSON A SONNET, TO THE NOBLE LADY, THE LADY MARY WROTH by BEN JONSON AN ODE TO HIMSELF by BEN JONSON ANSWER TO MASTER WITHER'S SONG, 'SHALL I, WASTING IN DESPAIR?' by BEN JONSON EPICOENE; OR, THE SILENT WOMAN: FREEDOM IN DRESS by BEN JONSON EPIGRAM: 118. ON GUT by BEN JONSON |
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