Living

A Bacchanalian ("What is war and all its joys?")

by Thomas Chatterton 1752–1770

From Poetical Works, ed. Skeat (1875)

Living

What is war and all its joys?
Useless mischief, empty noise.
What are arms and trophies won?
Spangles glittering in the sun.
Rosy Bacchus, give me wine,
Happiness is only thine!

What is love without the bowl?
Tis a languor of the soul:
Crowned with ivy, Venus charms;
Ivy courts me to her arms.
Bacchus, give me love and wine,
Happiness is only thine!

MLA

Chatterton, Thomas. “A Bacchanalian ("What is war and all its joys?").” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/chatterton/89/.

Chicago

Chatterton, Thomas. “A Bacchanalian ("What is war and all its joys?").” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/chatterton/89/.

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