Love

Sorrows of Werther

by William Makepeace Thackeray 1811–1863

From The Humorous Poetry of the English Language (ed. James Parton)

Love

Werther had a love for Charlotte
Such as words could never utter;
Would you know how first he met her?
She was cutting bread and butter.

Charlotte was a married lady,
And a moral man was Werther,
And for all the wealth of Indies,
Would do nothing for to hurt her.

So he sighed and pined and ogled,
And his passion boiled and bubbled.
Till he blew his silly brains out,
And no more was by it troubled.

Charlotte, having seen his body
Borne before her on a shutter,
Like a well-conducted person,
Went on cutting bread and butter.

MLA

Thackeray, William Makepeace. “Sorrows of Werther.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/thackeray/3/.

Chicago

Thackeray, William Makepeace. “Sorrows of Werther.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/thackeray/3/.

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