Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE BITTER WITHY (1), by ANONYMOUS First Line: As it fell out on a holy day Last Line: "oh! The withy, it shall be the very first tree / that perishes at the heart" Subject(s): Jesus Christ - Childhood & Youth;punishment | ||||||||
As it fell out on a Holy Day, The drops of rain did fall, did fall, Our Saviour asked leave of His mother Mary If He might go play at ball. "To play at ball, my own dear Son, It's time You was going or gone, But be sure let me hear no complaint of You, At night when You do come home.' It was upling scorn and downling scorn, Oh, there He met three jolly jerdins; Oh, there He asked the jolly jerdins If they would go play at ball. "Oh, we are lords' and ladies' sons, Born in bower or in hall, And You are some poor maid's child Born'd in an ox's stall.' "If you are lords' and ladies' sons, Born'd in bower or in hall, Then at the last I'll make it appear That I am above you all.' Our Saviour built a bridge with the beams of the sun, And over it He gone, He gone He. And after followed the three jolly jerdins, And drownded they were all three. It was upling scorn and downling scorn, The mothers of them did whoop and call, Crying out, "Mary mild, call home your Child, For ours are drownded all.' Mary mild, Mary mild, called home her Child, And laid our Saviour across her knee, And with a whole handful of bitter withy She gave him slashes three. Then He says to His mother, "Oh! the withy, oh! the withy, The bitter withy that causes me to smart, to smart, Oh! the withy, it shall be the very first tree That perishes at the heart.' | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...COLUMNS AND CARYATIDS: 1. THE WIFE by CAROLYN KIZER CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by CAROLYN KIZER THE UNJUSTLY PUNISHED CHILD by SHARON OLDS NOT QUITE SOCIAL by ROBERT FROST TO THE UNKNOWN EROS: BOOK 1: 10. THE TOYS by COVENTRY KERSEY DIGHTON PATMORE A BOY'S MOTHER by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY EXPLANATION by VIRGINIA A. ALLIN TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
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