Selected Poems Quotes

“No pains. No gains”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“No pain. No gain”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“

The Argument of his Book

I sing of Brooks, of Blossomes, Birds, and Flowers:
Of April, May, of June, and July-Flowers.
I sing of May-poles, Hock-carts, Wassails, Wakes,
Of Bride-grooms, Brides, and of their Bridall-cakes.
I write of Youth, of Love, and have Accesse
By these, to sing of cleanly-Wantonnesse.
I sing of Dewes, of Raines, and piece by piece
Of Balme, of Oyle, of Spice, and Amber-Greece.
I sing of Times trans-shifting; and I write
How Roses first came Red, and Lillies White.
I write of Groves, of Twilights, and I sing
The Court of Mab, and of the Fairie-King.
I write of Hell; I sing (and ever shall)
Of Heaven, and hope to have it after all.

”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“

The Lilly in a Christal

You have beheld a smiling Rose

When Virgins hands have drawn
O’r it a Cobweb-Lawne:

And here, you see, this Lilly shows,

Tomb’d in a Christal stone,

More faire in this transparent case,

Then when it grew alone;
And had but single grace.

You see how Creame but naked is;

Nor daunces in the eye
Without a Strawberrie:

Or some fine tincture, like to this,

Which draws the sight thereto,

More by that wantoning with it;

Then when the paler hieu
No mixture did admit.

You see how Amber through the streams

More gently stroaks the sight,
With some conceal’d delight;

Then when he darts his radiant beams

Into the boundless aire:

Where either too much light his worth

Doth all at once impaire,
Or set it little forth.

Put Purple Grapes, or Cherries in-

To Glasse, and they will send
More beauty to commend

Them, from that cleane and sbutile skin,

Then if they naked stood,

And had no other pride at all,

But their own flesh and blood,
And tinctures natural.

Thus Lillie, Rose, Grape, Cherry, Creame

And Straw-berry do stir
More love, when they transfer

A weak, a soft, a broken beame;

Then if they sho’d discover

At fulltheir proper excellence;

Without some Scean cast over,
To juggle with the sense.

Thus let this Christal’d Lillie be

A Rule, how far to teach,
Your nakednesse must reach:

And that, no further, then we see

Those glaring colours laid

By Arts wise hand, but to this end

They sho’d obey a shade;
Lest they too far extend.

So though y’are white as Swan, or Snow,

And have the power to move
A world of men to love:

Yet, when your Lawns & Silks shal flow;

And that white cloud divide

Into a doubtful Twi-light; then,

Then will your hidden Pride
Raise greater fires in men.

”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“

Bashfulnesse

Of all our parts, the eyes expresse
The sweetest kind of bashfulnesse.

”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“

The end of his worke

Part of the worke remaines; one part is past:
And here my ship rides having Anchor cast.

”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“

To Sycamores

I’m sick of Love; O let me lie
Under your shades, to sleep or die!
Either is welcome; so I have
Or here my Bed, or here my Grave.
Why do you sigh, and sob, and keep
Time with the tears, that I do weep?
Say, have ye sence, or do you prove
What Crucifixions are in Love?
I know ye do; and that’s the why,
You sigh for Love, as well as I

”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems

“Wantons we are, and though our words be such
Our lives do differ from our lines by much.”
― Robert Herrick, Selected Poems