By A. E. Housman

By A. E. Housman

I publish these poems, few though they are, because it is not likely that I shall ever be impelled to write much more. I can no longer expect to be revisited by the continuous excitement under which in the early months of 1895 I wrote the greater part of my first book, nor indeed could I well sustain it if it came; and it is best that what I have written should be printed while I am here to see it through the press and control its spelling and punctuation. About a quarter of this matter belongs to the April of the present year, but most of it to dates between 1895 and 1910.

September 1922

We'll to the woods no more, The laurels are all cut, The bowers are bare of bay That once the Muses wore; The year draws in the day And soon will evening shut: The laurels all are cut, We'll to the woods no more. Oh we'll no more, no more To the leafy woods away, To the high wild woods of laurel And the bowers of bay no more.

CONTENTS

I.   THE WEST

II.   

III.   

IV.   ILLIC JACET

V.   GRENADIER

VI.   LANCER

VII.   

VIII.   

IX.   

X.   

XI.   

XII.   

XIII.   THE DESERTER

XIV.   THE CULPRIT

XV.   EIGHT O'CLOCK

XVI.   SPRING MORNING

XVII.   ASTRONOMY

XVIII.   

XIX.   

XX.   

XXI.   

XXII.   

XXIII.   

XXIV.   EPITHALAMIUM

XXV.   THE ORACLES

XXVI.   

XXVII.   

XXVIII.   

XXIX.   

XXX.   SINNER'S RUE

XXXI.   HELL'S GATE

XXXII.   

XXXIII.   

XXXIV.   

XXXV.   

XXXVI.   REVOLUTION

XXXVII.   EPITAPH ON AN ARMY OF MERCENARIES

XXXVIII.   

XXXIX.   

XL.   

XLI.   FANCY'S KNELL