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Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

The Night Piece, to Julia


              1Her eyes the glow-worm lend thee,
              2The shooting stars attend thee;
              3      And the elves also,
              4      Whose little eyes glow
              5Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee.

              6No Will-o'-th'-Wisp mis-light thee,
              7Nor snake or slow-worm bite thee;
              8      But on, on thy way,
              9      Not making a stay,
            10Since ghost there's none to affright thee.

            11Let not the dark thee cumber;
            12What though the moon does slumber?
            13      The stars of the night
            14      Will lend thee their light,
            15Like tapers clear without number.

            16Then Julia let me woo thee,
            17Thus, thus to come unto me;
            18      And when I shall meet
            19      Thy silv'ry feet,
            20My soul I'll pour into thee.

Notes

7] slow-worm: small snake-like lizard.

Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: Robert Herrick, Hesperides (London: for John Williams and F. Eglesfield to be sold by Thomas Hunt, 1648), of which a section called "His Noble Numbers: or, his Pious Pieces" has a separate title-page dated 1647. Facs. edn. Menston: Scolar, 1969. PR 3512 H4 1648A ROBA
First publication date: 1648
RPO poem editor: N. J. Endicott
RP edition: 3RP 1.202-03.
Recent editing: 4:2002/2/6

Rhyme: aabba

Other poems by Robert Herrick

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