Representative Poetry Online
On this day: June 12th
Random Poem of the Day
1Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain,
2Who after birth did'st by my side remain,
3Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true,
4Who thee abroad expos'd to public view,
5Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge,
6Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
8My rambling brat (in print) should mother call.
9I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
10Thy Visage was so irksome in my sight,
11Yet being mine own, at length affection would
12Thy blemishes amend, if so I could.
13I wash'd thy face, but more defects I saw,
14And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
15I stretcht thy joints to make thee even feet,
16Yet still thou run'st more hobbling than is meet.
17In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
18But nought save home-spun Cloth, i' th' house I find.
19In this array, 'mongst Vulgars mayst thou roam.
20In Critics' hands, beware thou dost not come,
21And take thy way where yet thou art not known.
22If for thy Father askt, say, thou hadst none;
23And for thy Mother, she alas is poor,
24Which caus'd her thus to send thee out of door.
Notes
7] by friends: Rev. John Woodbridge, her brother-in-the-law (White xiii), took her manuscript to the printer without her knowledge. Back to Line