Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO THE GENTLE READER, by ANDREW LANG


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO THE GENTLE READER, by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Three kinds of companions, men, women, and books
Last Line: And I've frequently found them the best kind of books.
Subject(s): Books; Reading


"A French writer (whom I love well) speaks of three kinds of
companions—men, women, and books."
Sir John Davys.

THREE kinds of companions, men, women and books,
Were enough, said the elderly Sage, for his ends.
And the women we deem that he chose for their looks,
And the men for their cellars: the books were his friends:
"Man delights me not," often, "nor woman," but books
Are the best of good comrades in loneliest nooks.

For man will be wrangling—for women will fret
About everything infinitesimal small:
Like the Sage in our Plato, I'm "anxious to get
On the side"—on the sunnier side—"of a wall."
Let the wind of the world toss the nations like rooks,
If only you'll leave me at peace with my Books.

And which are my books? Why, 'tis much as you please,
For given 'tis a book, it can hardly be wrong,
And Bradshaw himself I can study with ease,
Though for choice I might call for a Sermon or Song;
And Locker on London, and Sala on Cooks,
And "Tom Brown," and Plotinus, they're all of them Books.

There's Fielding to lap one in currents of mirth;
There's Herrick to sing of a flower or a fay;
Or good Maître Françoys to bring one to earth,
If Shelley or Coleridge have snatched one away;
There's Müller on Speech, there's Gurney on Spooks,
There's Tylor on Totems, there's all sorts of Books.

There's roaming in regions where every one's been,
Encounters where no one was ever before;
There's "Leaves" from the Highlands we owe to the Queen,
There's Holly's and Leo's Adventures in Kôr;
There's Tanner, who dwelt with Pawnees and Chinooks—
You can cover a great deal of country in Books.

There are books, highly thought of, that nobody reads,
There's Gensius' dearly delectable tome
On the Cannibal—he on his neighbour who feeds—
And in blood-red morocco 'tis bound, by Derome;
There's Montaigne here (a Foppens), there's Roberts (on Flukes),
There's Elzevirs, Aldines, and Gryphius' Books.

There's Bunyan, there's Walton, in early editions,
There's many a quarto uncommonly rare;
There's quaint old Quevedo, a dream with his visions;
There's Jonson the portly, and Burton the spare;
There's Boston of Ettrick, who preached of the "Crooks
In the Lots" of us mortals, who bargain for Books.

There's Ruskin to keep one exclaiming, "What next?"
There's Browning to puzzle, and Gilbert to chaff,
And "Marcus Aurelius" to soothe one if vexed,
And good Marcus Tuainus to lend you a laugh;
And there's capital tomes that are filled with fly hooks,
And I've frequently found them the best kind of Books.





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