from Second-Collection Poems with phonemic transcripts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 March 2018
AN’ then we went along the gleädes
O’ zunny turf, in quiv'rèn sheädes, shadows
A-windèn off, vrom hand to hand,
Along a path o’ yollow zand,
An’ clomb a stickle slope, an’ vound climbed, steep
An open patch o’ lofty ground,
Up where a steätely tow'r did spring,
So high as highest larks do zing.
―Oh! Meäster Collins,” then I zaid,
A-lookèn up wi’ back-flung head;
Vor who but he, so mild o’ feäce,
Should teäke me there to zee the pleäce.
―What is it then theäse tower do meän, this
A-built so feäir, an’ kept so cleän?”
―Ah! me,” he zaid, wi’ thoughtvul feäce,
―'Twer grief that zet theäse tower in pleäce.
The squier's e'thly life's a-blest earthly
Wi’ gifts that mwost do teäke vor best;
The lofty-pinion'd rufs do rise roofs
To screen his head vrom stormy skies;
His land's a-spreadèn roun’ his hall,
An’ hands do leäbor at his call;
The while the ho'se do fling, wi’ pride, horse
His lofty head where he do guide;
But still his e'thly jaÿ's a-vled, flown by
His woone true friend, his wife, is dead. one
Zoo now her happy soul's a-gone, so
An’ he in grief's a-ling'rèn on,
Do do his heart zome good to show it does
His love to flesh an’ blood below.
An’ zoo he rear'd, wi’ smitten soul, built (raised)
Theäse Leädy's Tower upon the knowl. this
An’ there you'll zee the tow'r do spring
Twice ten veet up, as roun's a ring,
Wi’ pillars under mwolded eäves,
Above their heads a-carv'd wi’ leaves;
An’ have to peäce, a-walkèn round pace
His voot, a hunderd veet o’ ground.
An’ there, above his upper wall,
A roundèd tow'r do spring so tall
's a springèn arrow shot upright,
A hunderd giddy veet in height.
An’ if you'd like to straïn your knees
A-climèn up above the trees,
To zee, wi’ slowly wheelèn feäce,
The vur-sky'd land about the pleäce, far-
You'll have a flight o’ steps to wear
Vor forty veet, up steäir by steäir,
That roun’ the risèn tow'r do wind,
Like withwind roun’ the saplèn's rind, bindweed
An’ reach a landèn, wi’ a seat,
To rest at last your weary veet,
'Ithin a breast be-screenèn wall,
To keep ye vrom a longsome vall.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.