Poem from school

[puddles1947]

A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad. 1896.

XIII. When I was one-and-twenty


WHEN I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
‘Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;

Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free.’
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
‘The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.’
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

[Alan]

Just a bit for the record book courtesy of Google.

1996 was the centenary of the publication of A Shropshire Lad and the climax to a year of varied celebration was the dedication of a window to A.E. Housman in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

[puddles]

Thank you Alan, he is truly a master, how I wish I could write as well........puddles1947....

[cpdhuet]

We can all write as well, only our views are subjective. LOL
CPD

[paintedlady]

Being raised at the seaside the sea has always played, and still does a
part of our lives and this is a poem I remember from school.

"A wet sheet and a flowing sea"

A WET sheet and a flowing sea,
A wind that follows fast
And fills the white and rustling sail
And bends the gallant mast;
And bends the gallant mast, my boys,
While like the eagle free
Away the good ship flies, and leaves
Old England on the lee.

"O for a soft and gentle wind!"
I heard a fair one cry:
But give to me the snoring breeze
And white waves heaving high;
And white waves heaving high, my lads,
The good ship tight and free—
The world of waters is our home,
And merry men are we.

There's tempest in yon hornèd moon,
And lightning in yon cloud:
But hark the music, mariners!
The wind is piping loud;
The wind is piping loud, my boys,
The lightning flashes free—
While the hollow oak our palace is,
Our heritage the sea.

[raphael]

Remembering, we had to choose a poem to recite by heart and I went for a short one. Then I didn't think much of it but today it is a favourite:

Sun-flower

Ah Sun-flower! weary of time.
Who countest the steps of the Sun:
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the travellers journey is done.

Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow:
Arise from their graves and aspire,
Where my Sun-Flower wishes to go.

William Blake

[Alan]

Aren't they wonderful words, I wonder it today's school kids have to learn poetry for homework and then recite it to the class the next day - word perfect, never did us any harm, at least I don't think it did!

[puddles]

I remember this one from high school, it has remained in my mind for all these years. Mr. Wordsworth, is indeed a master, the words he writes are beyond compare.........Roland.....

She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:

A violet by a mossy tone
Half hidden from the eye!
-- Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.

She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!

William Wordsworth.

[mysticbluebell]

All those great poems!
Wish I could copy my very favourite from school time for you too, but of course it is in German... title "Hinterm Regenbogen" (Behind the rainbow)
Wordsworth though is anyway one of my favourite English poets. MBb

[puddles]

Mystic Bluebell, if I could only write and read German, what a tale your write would read.............puddles1947.....

[terry1951]

:)A.E.Housman had an excellent work there. tis' true, tis' true. Nice post Puddles1947. It rings very true today.

[puddles]

terry1951, of all the poets I can recall, he is one of my favorite, if only I could ride in the style he had, what music my poems would make....puddles1947.....

[paintedlady]

How many remember this one written by John Masefield?

Cargoes

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.

[norma]

I enjoyed reading all of these, most of which are familiar to me too. Alan, you are quite correct in what you say about schools today. The fact that we had to copy, learn and illustrate a poem each week, I think started the interest and love of poetry in me.
I remember this one word for word from Junior School. We were not obliged to learn it, but i did anyway, and have never forgotten it. It should make you smile. I think it was Hilaire Belloc.

MATILDA

Matilda told such dreadful lies,
it made one gasp and stretch one's eyes.
Her aunt, who from her earliest youth
had kept a strict regard for truth,
attempted to believe Matilda;
the effort very nearly killed her.
And would have done so,had not she
discovered this infirmity!

For once, towards the close of day,
Matilda, growing tired of play,
and finding she was left alone,
went tip-toe to the telephone;
and summoned the immediate aid,
of London's noble fire brigade!

Within an hour the gallant band,
came pouring in from every hand.
From Putney, Hackney-Downs and Bow,
with courage high and hearts aglow,
they galloped roaring throught the town,
"Matilda's house is burning down!"

Inspired by British cheers and loud
proceedings from the frenzied crowd,
they ran their ladders through a score
of windows on the ballroom floor,
and took peculiar pains to souse
the pictures up and down the house,
until Matilda's aunt succeeded,
in showing them they were not needed.
But even then, she had to pay
to get the men to go away!

It happened that a few weeks later,
her aunt went off to the Theatre.
To see that interesting play,
"The Second Mrs.Tanqueray."
She had refused to take her niece,
to see this entertaining piece.
A deprivation just and wise,
to punish her for telling lies.

That night a fire Did Break Out,
you should have heard Matilda shout.
You should have heard her scream and bawl,
and throw the windows up and call
to people passing in the street,
the rapidly increasing heat encouraging her to obtain
their confidence, but all in vain!
For every time she shouted "Fire,"
they only answered "Little Liar!"
Therefore, when her aunt returned,
Matilda and the house were burned!

Hope it made you smile!

[norma]

O yes I remember "Cargoes" Paintedlady, I used to love it. He often wrote about the sea didn't he? Do you remember "I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky..?"

[paintedlady]

Yes I remember that one too Norma, in fact it is posted in the board above this Poets A-Z. Haven't read the Matilda one before and not sure I could have remembered all those verses, well done!