Poetry Codex

Victorian

William Barnes

1801–1886

William Barnes (1801–1886) was an English poet, philologist and clergyman, born at Rushay in the Vale of Blackmore, Dorset. A largely self-taught scholar, he worked as a schoolmaster in Dorchester and later became rector of Winterborne Came, near Dorchester.

He is best known for his poems in the Dorset dialect, collected in three series of Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect (1844, 1859, 1862) and gathered in one volume in 1879. Thomas Hardy, who knew him in Dorchester, admired him and wrote of his death in a poem.

Poems (336)

  1. The Spring
  2. The Woodlands
  3. Leady-Day, an' Ridden House
  4. Easter Zunday
  5. Easter Monday
  6. Dock-Leaves
  7. The Blackbird
  8. Woodcom' Feast
  9. The Milk-Maid o' the Farm
  10. The Girt Woak Tree That's in the Dell
  11. Vellen o' the Tree
  12. Bringen Woone Gwaïn o' Zundays
  13. Evenèn Twilight
  14. Evenèn in the Village
  15. May
  16. Bob the Fiddler
  17. Hope in Spring
  18. The White Road Up Athirt the Hill
  19. The Woody Hollow
  20. Jenny's Ribbons
  21. The 'Lotments
  22. A Bit o' Sly Coorten
  23. Evenèn, an' Maidens Out at Door
  24. The Shepherd o' the Farm
  25. Vields in the Light
  26. Whitsuntide an' Club Walken
  27. Woodley
  28. The Brook That Ran by Gramfer's
  29. Sleep Did Come wi' the Dew
  30. Sweet Music in the Wind
  31. Uncle an' Aunt
  32. Haven Woones Fortune A-Twold
  33. Jeane's Wedden Day in Mornen
  34. Rivers Don't Gi'e Out
  35. Meaken Up a Miff
  36. Hay-Meaken
  37. Hay-Carren
  38. The Best Man in the Vield
  39. Where We Did Keep Our Flagon
  40. Week's End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo'k's Time
  41. The Mead A-Mow'd
  42. The Sky A-Clearen
  43. The Evenèn Star o' Zummer
  44. The Clote
  45. I Got Two Vields
  46. Polly Be-En Upzides wi' Tom
  47. Be'mi'ster
  48. Thatchen o' the Rick
  49. Bees A-Zwarmen
  50. Readen ov a Head-Stwone
  51. Zummer Evenèn Dance
  52. The Veairies
  53. Corn A-Turnen Yollow
  54. A-Haulen o' the Corn
  55. Harvest Hwome: The Vu'st Peärt
  56. Harvest Hwome: Second Peärt
  57. A Zong ov Harvest Hwome
  58. Poll's Jack-Daw
  59. The Ivy
  60. The Welshnut Tree
  61. Jenny Out vrom Hwome
  62. Grenley Water
  63. The Veairy Veet That I Do Meet
  64. Mornèn
  65. Out A-Nuttèn
  66. Teaken in Apples
  67. Meaple Leaves Be Yollow
  68. Night A-Zetten in
  69. The Weather-Beaten Tree
  70. Shrodon Feäir: The Vu'st Peärt
  71. Shrodon Feäir: The Rest o't
  72. Martin's Tide
  73. Guy Faux's Night
  74. The Common A-Took in
  75. Two Farms in Woone
  76. The Vrost
  77. A Bit o' Fun
  78. Fannys Be'th-Day
  79. What Dick an' I Did
  80. Grammer's Shoes
  81. Zunsheen in the Winter
  82. The Weepen Leady
  83. The Happy Days When I Wer Young
  84. In the Stillness o' the Night
  85. The Settle an' the Girt Wood Vire
  86. The Carter
  87. Chris'mas Invitation
  88. Keepen Up o' Chris'mas
  89. Zitten Out the Wold Year
  90. Woak Wer Good Enough Woonce
  91. Lullaby
  92. Meary-Ann's Child
  93. Father Come Hwome
  94. A Ghost
  95. A Zong
  96. The Maid vor My Bride
  97. The Hwomestead
  98. The Farmer's Woldest Dā'ter
  99. Uncle Out o' Debt an' Out o' Danger
  100. The Church an' Happy Zunday
  101. The Wold Waggon
  102. The Drèven o' the Common
  103. The Common A-Took in
  104. A Wold Friend
  105. The Rwose That Deck'd Her Breast
  106. Nanny's Cow
  107. The Shep'erd Bwoy
  108. Hope A-Left Behind
  109. A Good Father
  110. The Beam in Grenley Church
  111. The Vaïces That Be Gone
  112. Poll
  113. Looks A-Know'd Avore
  114. The Music o' the Dead
  115. The Pleäce a Teäle's A-Twold o'
  116. Aunt's Tantrums
  117. The Stwonèn Pworch
  118. Farmer's Sons
  119. Jeäne
  120. The Dree Woaks
  121. The Hwomestead A-Vell Into Hand
  122. The Guide Post
  123. Gwain to Feäir
  124. Jeäne o' Grenley Mill
  125. The Bells ov Alderburnham
  126. The Girt Wold House o' Mossy Stwone
  127. A Witch
  128. The Times
  129. Blackmwore Maidens
  130. My Orcha'd in Linden Lea
  131. Bishop's Caundle
  132. Hay Meaken--Nunchen Time
  133. A Father Out, an' Mother Hwome
  134. Riddles
  135. Day's Work A-Done
  136. Light or Sheäde
  137. The Waggon A-Stooded
  138. Gwaïn Down the Steps vor Water
  139. Ellen Brine ov Allenburn
  140. The Motherless Child
  141. The Leädy's Tower
  142. Fatherhood
  143. The Maid o' Newton
  144. Childhood
  145. Meäry's Smile
  146. Meäry Wedded
  147. The Stwonen Bwoy Upon the Pillar
  148. The Young That Died in Beauty
  149. Fair Emily ov Yarrow Mill
  150. The Scud
  151. Minden House
  152. The Lovely Maïd ov Elwell Meäd
  153. Our Fathers' Works
  154. The Wold vo'k Dead
  155. Culver Dell and the Squire
  156. Our Be'thplace
  157. The Window Freäm'd wi' Stwone
  158. The Water-Spring in the Leane
  159. The Poplars
  160. The Linden on the Lawn
  161. Our Abode in Arby Wood
  162. Slow to Come, Quick Agone
  163. The Vier-Zide
  164. Knowlwood
  165. Hallowed Pleäces
  166. The Wold Wall
  167. Bleäke's House in Blackmwore
  168. John Bleäke at Hwome at Night
  169. Milken Time
  170. When Birds Be Still
  171. Riden Hwome at Night
  172. Zun-Zet
  173. Spring
  174. The Zummer Hedge
  175. The Water Crowvoot
  176. The Lilac
  177. The Blackbird
  178. The Slantèn Light o' Fall
  179. Thissledown
  180. The May-Tree
  181. Lydlinch Bells
  182. The Stage Coach
  183. Wayfearen
  184. The Leane
  185. The Railroad
  186. The Railroad
  187. Seats
  188. Sound o' Water
  189. Trees Be Company
  190. A Pleäce in Zight
  191. Gwain to Brookwell
  192. Brookwell
  193. The Shy Man
  194. The Winter's Willow
  195. I Know Who
  196. Jessie Lee
  197. True Love
  198. The Bean Vield
  199. Wold Friends A-Met
  200. Fifehead
  201. Ivy Hall
  202. False Friends-Like
  203. The Bachelor
  204. Married Peäir's Love Walk
  205. A Wife A-Praïs'd
  206. The Wife A-Lost
  207. The Thorns in the Geäte
  208. Angels by the Door
  209. Vo'k A-Comèn Into Church
  210. Woone Rule
  211. Good Meäster Collins
  212. Herrenston
  213. Out at Plough
  214. The Bwoat
  215. The Pleäce Our Own Ageän
  216. John an' Thomas
  217. Pentridge by the River
  218. Wheat
  219. The Meäd in June
  220. Early Risèn
  221. Zellen Woone's Honey to Buy Zome'hat Sweet
  222. Dobbin Dead
  223. Happiness
  224. Gruffmoody Grim
  225. The Turn o' the Days
  226. The Sparrow Club
  227. Gammony Gaÿ
  228. The Heare
  229. Nanny Gill
  230. Moonlight on the Door
  231. My Love's Guardian Angel
  232. Leeburn Mill
  233. Praise o' Do'set
  234. Woone Smile Mwore
  235. The Echo
  236. Vull a Man
  237. Naighbour Plaÿmeätes
  238. The Lark
  239. The Two Churches
  240. Woak Hill
  241. The Hedger
  242. In the Spring
  243. The Flood in Spring
  244. Comen Hwome
  245. Grammer A-Crippled
  246. The Castle Ruins
  247. John, Jealous at Shroton Feäir
  248. Early Plaÿmeäte
  249. Picken o' Scroff
  250. Good Night
  251. Went Hwome
  252. The Hollow Woak
  253. Childern's Childern
  254. The Rwose in the Dark
  255. Come
  256. Zummer Winds
  257. The Neäme Letters
  258. The New House A-Gettèn Wold
  259. Zunday
  260. The Pillar'd Geäte
  261. Zummer Stream
  262. Linda Deäne
  263. Come and Zee Us in the Zummer
  264. Lindenore
  265. Me'th Below the Tree
  266. Treat Well Your Wife
  267. The Child an' the Mowers
  268. The Love Child
  269. Hawthorn Down
  270. Oben Vields
  271. What John Wer A-Tellèn His Mis'ess Out in the Corn Ground
  272. Sheädes
  273. Times o' Year
  274. Racketèn Joe
  275. Zummer an' Winter
  276. To Me
  277. Two an' Two
  278. The Lew o' the Rick
  279. The Wind in Woone's Feäce
  280. Tokens
  281. Tweil
  282. Fancy
  283. The Broken Heart
  284. Evenèn Light
  285. Vields by Watervalls
  286. The Wheel Routs
  287. Nanny's New Abode
  288. Leaves A-Vallèn
  289. Lizzie
  290. Blessens A-Left
  291. Fall Time
  292. Fall
  293. The Zilver-Weed
  294. The Widow's House
  295. The Child's Greäve
  296. Went vrom Hwome
  297. The Fancy Feäir at Maïden Newton
  298. Things Do Come Round
  299. Zummer Thoughts in Winter Time
  300. I'm Out o' Door
  301. Grief an' Gladness
  302. Slidèn
  303. Lwonesomeness
  304. A Snowy Night
  305. The Year-Clock
  306. Not Goo Hwome To-Night
  307. The Humstrum
  308. Shaftesbury Feäir
  309. The Beäten Path
  310. Ruth A-Ridèn
  311. Beauty Undecked
  312. My Love Is Good
  313. Heedless o' My Love
  314. The Do'set Militia
  315. A Do'set Sale: With a Mistake
  316. Don't Ceäre
  317. Changes
  318. Kindness
  319. Withstanders
  320. Daniel Dwithen, the Wise Chap
  321. Turnèn Things Off
  322. The Giants in Treädes: Gramfer's Feäble
  323. The Little Worold
  324. Bad News
  325. The Turnstile
  326. The Better vor Zeèn o' You
  327. Pity
  328. John Bloom in Lon'on
  329. A Lot o' Maïdens A-Runnèn the Vields
  330. The Surprise
  331. The Mother's Dream
  332. Plorata Veris Lachrymis
  333. Evening, and Maidens
  334. White and Blue
  335. The Wind at the Door
  336. The Morning Moon

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