The Little Vagabond

William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)



Dear mother, dear mother, the church is cold,
   But the ale-house is healthy and pleasant and warm;
   Besides I can tell where I am used well,
   Such usage in Heaven will never do well.

     But if at the church they would give us some ale,
   And a pleasant fire our souls to regale,
   We'd sing and we'd pray all the live-long day,
   Nor ever once wish from the church to stray.

     Then the parson might preach, and drink, and sing,
   And we'd be as happy as birds in the spring;
   And modest Dame Lurch, who is always at church,
   Would not have bandy children, nor fasting, nor birch.

     And God, like a father rejoicing to see
   His children as pleasant and happy as he,
   Would have no more quarrel with the Devil or the barrel,
   But kiss him, and give him both drink and apparel.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
153

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXAA XABB CCDD EEFF
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 795
Words 147
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

William Blake

William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. more…

All William Blake poems | William Blake Books

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