The Poems of Robert Herrick

by Robert Herrick

This new edition of Herrick in the Oxford Standard Authors is based on the edition by Professor L.C. Martin in the Oxford English Texts (Clarendon press, 1956). It contains the whole of Herrick's own collection, Hesperides and His Noble Numbers (1648), together with a few other poems (chiefly from manuscripts) which can reasonably be attributed to him.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

478 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1906

About the author

Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is best known for Hesperides, a book of poems. This includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time", with the first line "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may".

Librarian Note: There is more than one Robert Herrick in the GoodReads database. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herrick wrote so well we hardly notice. A brilliant translator, he often improves on the Latin: "I ask't thee oft, what Poets thou hast read?/
And liks't the best? Still thou reply'st, 'The Dead.'" This is Martial, " Miraris veteres," 8.69. An Anglican minister whose Devon church and house-in-exile still stand just off the main highway (at Dean Prior), he wrote the most famous Cavalier poem on erection, "The Vine." This uses a dream and a gardening metaphor, 'Me thought, her long small legs and thighs / I with my tendrils did surprise," and concludes,"And with the fancy I awook; /And found (Ah me!)
this mortal part of mine / More like a Stock than like a Vine."
To sum his genius, see him fit Latinate, ponderous words into light, short meter, four beat lines: "When as in silks my Julia goes / Then, then (me thinks) how sweetly flows / The liquefation of her clothes."
My personal favorite shows Herrick the clergyman syncretizing classical and Christian gods: "The gods require the thighs / Of beeves for sacrifice /
Which roasted, we the steam / High-towering raise to them, / Who, though they do not eat, / Yet love the smell of meat." Something deeply personal as well as professional here; Herrick combines his asceticism and his sensuality in another syncretism.
Herrick's the best translator ever, of Latin verse into English. His competitiors are of course his master, Ben Jonson, and probably Shakespeare, though of course Will adapted the Latin brilliantly. And then there's Dryden, who surpasses Herrick in the scale of his translations--Vergil, after all.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Upon Julia's Clothes' is one of my favourite poems from the time when I didn't routinely read large selections of work by any one poet, and rather picked bits and pieces from random places. By and large, I must say, looking further into any poet's work has been disappointing. I guess most poets only have one or two great poems in them and everything else is a riff on that (except Auden. You can stay).

Also Herrick is obsessed with boobs and breastmilk in a deeply uncomfortable way, which is made more distressing by the fact that by all accounts he was a totally celibate religioso.

The Argument of his Book:

"I write of hell; I sing (and ever shall)
Of Heaven, and hope to have it after all."

Presence and Absence:

"When what is lov'd, is Present, love doth spring;
But being absent, Love lies languishing."

Corinna's going a Maying:

"All love, all liking, all delight
Lies drown'd with us in endlesse night.
Then while time serves, and we are but decaying,
Come, my Corinna, let's goe a Maying."

You'll note how much this has in common with 'To the Virgins, to make much of Time'.

His Letanie, to the Holy Spirit:

"When the Judgement is reveal'd,
And that open'd which was seal'd,
When to Thee I have appeal'd;
Sweet Spirit comfort me!"

Favourites: To the Virgins; On Love; To Anthea, who may command him any thing; The Hag; Upon Julia's Clothes.

[James Violand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poet should be read in English literature courses everywhere. Unknown to the vast majority of students, Herrick has become one of my favorites. He is far above most moderns in an appreciation of the common, non-ethereal world of nature and man.

[Shelby Bollen]

I don't read a lot of poetry, so I wouldn't even know where to start with a review! My favourites included:
• To Perilla
• To anthem, who may command him anything

[Wyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the love poems, most of the faerie poems and none of the cream-boob poems.

[John Peel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Herrick was a 17th Century English poet of odd stature. He wrote a number of highly religious poems, and even more erotic or scurrilous ones. His love poetry is fairly bold for the age (including writing about a lover's breasts), and he created lots of slight epigrams about people he knew. He even wrote poems about farts - not generally a subject for the field. He's best taken in small doses, and can be a little hard to follow as he tends to ramble, but he's enjoyable.

[Nicky Enriquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful words and illustrations. His love poems to Julia were stunners.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.

[Indra Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing is more delightful than passing an afternoon in the company of a 17th century gallant!

[Jad Wannous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faire Daffadills, we weep to see
You haste away so soone:
As yet the early–rising Sun
Has not attain'd his Noone.
Stay, stay,
Untill the hasting day
Has run
But to the Even–song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will goe with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet Decay,
As you, or any thing.
We die,
As your hours doe, and drie
Away,
Like to the Summers raine;
Or as the pearles of Mornings dew
Ne'r to be found againe.
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Onely a little more
I have to write,
Then Ile give o're,
And bid the world Good–night.

'Tis but a flying minute,
That I must stay,
Or linger in it;
And then I must away.
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Pillars let some set up,
(If so they please)
Here is my hope,
And my Pyramides. 🔺