Analysis of The wassail

Robert Herrick 1591 (London) – 1674 (Dean Prior)



Give way, give way, ye gates, and win
An easy blessing to your bin
And basket, by our entering in.

May both with manchet stand replete;
Your larders, too, so hung with meat,
That though a thousand, thousand eat,

Yet, ere twelve moons shall whirl about
Their silv'ry spheres, there's none may doubt
But more's sent in than was served out.

Next, may your dairies prosper so,
As that your pans no ebb may know;
But if they do, the more to flow,

Like to a solemn sober stream,
Bank'd all with lilies, and the cream
Of sweetest cowslips filling them.

Then may your plants be press'd with fruit,
Nor bee or hive you have be mute,
But sweetly sounding like a lute.

Last, may your harrows, shares, and ploughs,
Your stacks, your stocks, your sweetest mows,
All prosper by your virgin-vows.

--Alas!  we bless, but see none here,
That brings us either ale or beer;
In a dry-house all things are near.

Let's leave a longer time to wait,
Where rust and cobwebs bind the gate;
And all live here with needy fate;

Where chimneys do for ever weep
For want of warmth, and stomachs keep
With noise the servants' eyes from sleep.

It is in vain to sing, or stay
Our free feet here, but we'll away:
Yet to the Lares this we'll say:

'The time will come when you'll be sad,
'And reckon this for fortune bad,


Scheme AAA BBB CCC DDD EEX FFF GGG XHH III JJJ KKK LL
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11111101 11010111 0101101000 1111101 1111111 11010101 11111101 1111111 11101111 11110101 11111111 11110111 11010101 11110001 1101101 11111111 11111111 11010101 1111101 11111101 11011101 01111111 11110111 00111111 11010111 1101101 01111101 11011101 11110101 11010111 11011111 101111101 1101111 01111111 01011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,258
Words 242
Sentences 9
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2
Lines Amount 35
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 82
Words per stanza (avg) 20
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:15 min read
116

Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick was born in London, England, in 1591. He was apprenticed to a goldsmith (his uncle, Sir William), but went to Cambridge, at St John's, in 1613. He was ordained at Peterborough in 1623 and became chaplain to the Duke of Buckingham a few years later. "Hesperides" - a collection of 1200 lyrical poems - was published in 1648 and it remained his magnum opus. Herrick died in 1674, aged 83. more…

All Robert Herrick poems | Robert Herrick Books

5 fans

Discuss this Robert Herrick poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The wassail" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/31416/the-wassail>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    21
    hours
    16
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    She recited a poem called "The Hill We Climb" in honor of the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
    A Samantha Goodman
    B Angela Geisman
    C Anita Goldman
    D Amanda Gorman