The Modern PoetFor your words and others.
Release 15
Always tinkering.

I use this place too. I keep finding things to add, change, or make a little better.

Latest check: 1,242 passed. Regular checks, ongoing improvements.

This round: quieter reading, book-style chapters, and one HH throughout.

THE MODERN POET

The Hock-cart, or Harvest Home

By Robert Herrick

To the Right Honourable Mildmay, Earl of Westmoreland Come, sons of summer, by whose toil We are the lords of wine and oil; By whose tough labours, and rough hands, We rip up first, then reap our lands. Crown'd with the ears of corn, now come, And to the pipe sing Harvest Home. Come forth, my lord, and see the cart Dress'd up with all the country art. See, here a malkin, there a sheet, As spotless pure, as it is sweet; The horses, mares, and frisking fillies, (Clad, all, in linen, white as lilies.) The harvest swains and wenches bound For joy, to see the Hock-cart crown'd. About the cart, hear, how the rout Of rural younglings raise the shout; Pressing before, some coming after, Those with a shout, and these with laughter. Some bless the cart; some kisses the sheaves; Some prank them up with oaken leaves; Some cross the fill-horse; some with great Devotion, stroke the home-borne wheat; While other rustics, less attent To prayers than to merriment, Run after with their breeches rent. Well, on, brave boys, to your lord's hearth, Glitt'ring with fire, where, for your mirth, Ye shall see first the large and chief Foundation of your feast, fat beef, With upper stories, mutton, veal, And bacon, (which makes full the meal) With sev'ral dishes standing by, As here a custard, there a pie, And here all tempting frumenty. And for to make the merry cheer, If smirking wine be wanting here, There's that which drowns all care, stout beer, Which freely drink to your lord's health, Then to the plough, (the common-wealth) Next to your flails, your fanes, your fats; Then to the maids with wheaten hats; To the rough sickle and crook'd scythe, Drink frolic boys, till all be blythe. Feed and grow fat; and as ye eat, Be mindful, that the lab'ring neat (As you) may have their fill of meat And know, besides, ye must revoke The patient ox unto the yoke, And all go back unto the plough And harrow, (though they're hang'd up now.) And, you must know, your lord's word's true, Feed him ye must, whose food fills you. And that this pleasure is like rain, Not sent ye for to drown your pain, But for to make it spring again.

Original source ↗

Poetry data from PoetryDB, curated by The Combed Thunderclap · metadata CC BY 4.0 · Public-domain poem text (USA)

Explore The Modern Poet ↗

POETRY. PHILOSOPHY. THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

Something to read.
Something to feel.

Your work, and voices from around the world.
Poetry, poetic philosophy, and the people behind it.

Riddle of the day ↗

A little rhyme. Something to turn over. Tomorrow, a possible answer.

Explore public sources. Read the work where it was shared.

A moment with the words.

A note on the rotation

Box one belongs to works shared here—pictures, poems, or both—with a new selection each hour. The other three change one at a time every fifteen minutes. One is a Halloween poem through October. Skip any card, or pause while you read.

THERE’S ROOM FOR YOUR VOICE.

Got something to say?
Leave it here.

A poem. A picture. Both. Sign your name, use a pen name,
or stay anonymous. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

YOUR WORDS. YOUR WAY.

Leave something here.

Post a poem, a picture, or both. No profile needed.

Picture-only posts are welcome. No nudity or sexual images. Images stay in your private local queue pending review; automated screening is not connected in this preview.

A little bird, optional.

Artwork becomes the small icon; without artwork, your companion takes its place. You can also leave the small icon blank. Preview everything and change your mind before posting. No account needed.

You keep ownership of your work. Posting availability is checked before you submit. Passing work publishes; flagged work waits privately for the owner.