Nature

Farwell Frost, or welcome the Spring.

by Robert Herrick 1591–1674

From Hesperides (1648)

Nature

FLed are the Frosts, and now the Fields appeare
Re-cloth'd in fresh and verdant Diaper.
Thaw'd are the snowes, and now the lusty Spring
Gives to each Mead a neat enameling.
The Palms put forth their Gemmes, and every Tree
Now swaggers in her Leavy gallantry.
The while the Daulian Minstrell sweetly sings,
With warbling Notes, her Tyrrean suffe rings.
What gentle Winds perspire? As if here
Never had been the Northern Plunderer
To strip the Trees, and Fields, to their distresse,
Leaving them to a pittied nakednesse.
And look how when a frantick Storme doth rear
A stubborn Oake, or Holme (long growing there)
But lul'd to calmnesse, then succeeds a breeze
That scarcely stirs the nodding leaves of Trees:
So when this War (which tempest-like doth spoil
Our salt, our Corn, our Honie, Wine, and Oile)
Falls to a temper, and doth mildly cast
His inconsiderate Frenzie off (at last)
The gentle Dove may, when these turmoils cease,
Bring in her Bill, once more, the Branch of Peace.

MLA

Herrick, Robert. “Farwell Frost, or welcome the Spring.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/652/.

Chicago

Herrick, Robert. “Farwell Frost, or welcome the Spring.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/652/.

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