What can the cause be, when the king hath given His poet sack, the Household will not pay? Are they so scanted in their store, or driven For want of knowing the poet, to say him nay? Well, they should know him, would the king but grant His poet leave to sing his Household true; He'ld frame such ditties of their store, and want, Would make the very green-cloth to look blue: And rather wish, in their expense of sack, So, the allowance from the king to use, As the old bard, should no canary lack, 'Twere better spare a butt, than spill his muse. For in the genius of a poet's verse, The king's fame lives. Go now, deny his tierce. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE GLOW-WORM by WILLIAM COWPER LIKE A LAVEROCK IN THE LIFT by JEAN INGELOW PROMETHEUS by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL PRO PATRIA MORI by THOMAS MOORE DOVE RIVER ANTHOLOGY, BY OWN WILLIAM WORDSWORTH: LUCY GRAY by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS |