Robert Herrick
Robert Herrick
Robert Herrickwas a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is best known for Hesperides, a book of poems. This includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time", with the first line "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may"...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth24 August 1591
attend befriend elves eyes lend sparks whose
Her eyes the glow-worm lend thee, / The shooting-stars attend thee; / And the elves also,/ Whose little eyes glow, / Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee.
bid eyes
Bid me to weep, and I will weep, / While I have eyes to see.
exalted head laid star
And once more yet (ere I am laid out dead)Knock at a star with my exalted head
according fortunes labor pains
If little labor, little are our gains; man's fortunes are according to his pains
bridal sing
I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers: / Of April, May, of June, and July-flowers. / I sing of maypoles, hock-carts, wassails, wakes, / Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes.
kiss lately
Only to kiss that air, / That lately kiss?d thee.
kings sheep skins
In things a moderation keep; Kings ought to shear, not skin, their sheep.
spring eating pleasure
Feed him ye must, whose food fills you. And that this pleasure is like raine, Not sent ye for to drowne your paine, But for to make it spring againe.
time doe succeed
Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old.
love-is temptation devil
Those Saints, which God loves best, The Devil tempts not least.
kind creatures
Like will to like, each creature loves his kind.
beauty eye brave
Next, when I cast mine eyes and see That brave vibration each way free, O how that glittering taketh me!
pity snares
None pities him that is in the snare, who warned before, would not beware.
couple valentine bird
Oft have I heard both youths and virgins say, Birds chuse their mates and couple too this day: But by their flight I never can devine When I shall couple with my valentine.