Living

His returne to London.

by Robert Herrick 1591–1674

From Hesperides (1648)

Living

FRom the dull confines of the drooping West,
To see the day spring from the pregnant East,
Ravisht in spirit, I come, nay more, I flie
To thee, blest place of my Nativitie!
Thus, thus with hallowed foot I touch the ground,
With thousand blessings by thy Fortune crown'd.
O fruitfull Genius! that bestowest here
An everlasting plenty, yeere by yeere.
O Place! O People! Manners! fram'd to please
All Nations, Customes, Kindreds, Languages!
I am a free-born Roman; suffer then,
That I amongst you live a Citizen.
London my home is: though by hard fate sent
Into a long and irksome banishment;
Yet since cal'd back; henceforward let me be,
O native countrey, repossest by thee!
For, rather then I'le to the West return,
I'le beg of thee first here to have mine Urn.
Weak I am grown, and must in short time fall;
Give thou my sacred Reliques Buriall.

MLA

Herrick, Robert. “His returne to London.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/722/.

Chicago

Herrick, Robert. “His returne to London.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/722/.

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