Woak Hill

William Barnes 1801 (Bagber) – 1886



When sycamore leaves wer a-spreadèn
         Green-ruddy in hedges,
     Bezide the red doust o' the ridges,
         A-dried at Woak Hill;

       I packed up my goods all a sheenèn
         Wi' long years o' handlèn,
     On dousty red wheel ov a waggon,
         To ride at Woak Hill.

       The brown thatchen ruf o' the dwellèn,
       I then wer a-le{'a}vèn,
   Had shelter'd the sleek head o' Me{'a}ry,
       My bride at Woak Hill.

     But now vor zome years, her light voot-vall
       'S a-lost vrom the vloorèn.
   Too soon vor my ja{'y} an' my childern,
       She died at Woak Hill.

     But still I do think that, in soul,
       She do hover about us;
   To ho vor her motherless childern,
       Her pride at Woak Hill.

     Zoo--lest she should tell me hereafter
       I stole off 'ithout her,
   An' left her, uncall'd at house-riddèn,
       To bide at Woak Hill--

     I call'd her so fondly, wi' lippèns
       All soundless to others,
  An' took her wi' a{'i}r-reachèn hand,
       To my zide at Woak Hill.

     On the road I did look round, a-talkèn
       To light at my shoulder,
   An' then led her in at the doorway,
       Miles wide vrom Woak Hill.

     An' that's why vo'k thought, vor a season,
       My mind wer a-wandrèn
   Wi' sorrow, when I wer so sorely
       A-tried at Woak Hill.

    But no; that my Me{'a}ry mid never
      Behold herzelf slighted,
   I wanted to think that I guided
       My guide vrom Woak Hill.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:13 min read
23

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXC AAAC AADC CAAC XXAC DDAC BXXC ADXC XAXC DXXC
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,437
Words 235
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

William Barnes

William Barnes, Barne, Barneis or Berners, of Thoby, Essex, was an English politician. more…

All William Barnes poems | William Barnes Books

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