The Poetry Of William Makepeace Thackeray - Volume 1: "People hate as they love, unreasonably."

By William Makepeace Thackeray

In this series we look at individual poets who have shaped and influenced their craft and cement their place in our heritage. In this volume we look at further poetical works of the eminent English writer and poet William Makepeace Thackeray. The great author of Vanity Fair and The Luck Of Barry Lyndon was born in India in 1811. At age 5 his father died and his mother sent him back to England. His education was of the best but he himself seemed unable to apply his talents to a rigorous work ethic. After a few years of marriage his wife began to suffer from depression and over the years became detached from reality. He himself suffered from ill health later in his life and the one pursuit that kept him moving forward was that of writing and in his life time he was placed second only to Dickens. High praise indeed. In this volume, the first of three, we take in his poetical works. Many novelists consider themselves to be poets first and foremost. In reading these poems it’s easy to consider Thackeray as such. His poems range from playful to serious and all manner of emotions and themes in between. In the end his worth as a poet is self-evident.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Copyright Group
• Release date: Jan 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781783948215

Book preview

The Poetry of William Makepeace Thackeray – Volume 1

Poetry is a fascinating use of language.  With almost a million words at its command it is not surprising that these Isles have produced some of the most beautiful, moving and descriptive verse through the centuries. 

In this series we look at individual poets who have shaped and influenced their craft and cement their place in our heritage.  In this volume we look at further poetical works of the eminent English writer and poet William Makepeace Thackeray.

The great author of Vanity Fair and The Luck Of Barry Lyndon was born in India in 1811. At age 5 his father died and his mother sent him back to England.  His education was of the best but he himself seemed unable to apply his talents to a rigorous work ethic. 

After a few years of marriage his wife began to suffer from depression and over the years became detached from reality.  He himself suffered from ill health later in his life and the one pursuit that kept him moving forward was that of writing and in his life time he was placed second only to Dickens.  High praise indeed. 

In this volume, the first of three, we take in his poetical works.  Many novelists consider themselves to be poets first and foremost.  In reading these poems its easy to consider Thackeray as such.  His poems range from playful to serious and all manner of emotions and themes in between.   In the end his worth as a poet is self-evident.

Index Of Poems

A Credo

A Doe In The City

A Tragic Story

Abd-El-Kader At Toulon Or, The Caged Hawk

Ad Ministram

Ah, Bleak And Barren Was The Moor

At the Church-Gate

Atra Cura

Come To The Greenwood Tree

Commanders Of The Faithful

Damages, Two Hundred Pounds

Dear Jack

Fairy Days

Friar’s Song

From Pocahontas

Jolly Jack

King Canute

Larry O’Toole

Le Grenier

The Garret

Le Roi D’Yvetot

The King Of Yvetot 

Lines On A Late Hospicious Ewent, By A Gebtleman Of The Footguards Lines Upon My Sister’s Portrait

Little Billee

Lucy’s Birthday

May-Day Ode

Molony’s Lament

Mr. Molony’s Account Of The Ball

Mrs. Katherine’s Lantern

My Nora

On A Very Old Woman

Peg Of Limavaddy

Persicos Odi

Piscator And Piscatrix

Pocahontas

Requiescat

Roger-Bontemps

Ronsard To His Mistress

Serenade

Song Of The Violet

Sorrows of Werther

The Age of Wisdom

The Almack’s Adieu

A Credo

I.

For the sole edification

Of this decent congregation,

Goodly people, by your grant

I will sing a holy chant—

I will sing a holy chant.

If the ditty sound but oddly,

'Twas a father, wise and godly,

Sang it so long ago—

Then sing as Martin Luther sang,

As Doctor Martin Luther sang:

'Who loves not wine, woman and song,

He is a fool his whole life long!'

II.

He, by custom patriarchal,

Loved to see the beaker sparkle;

And he thought the wine improved,

Tasted by the lips he loved—

By the kindly lips he loved.

Friends, I wish this custom pious

Duly were observed by us,

To combine love, song, wine,

And sing as Martin Luther sang,

As Doctor Martin Luther sang:

'Who loves not wine, woman and song,

He is a fool his whole life long!'

III.

Who refuses this our Credo,

And who will not sing as we do,

Were he holy as John Knox,

I'd pronounce him heterodox!

I'd pronounce him heterodox,

And from out this congregation,

With a solemn commination,

Banish quick the heretic,

Who will not sing as Luther sang,

As Doctor Martin Luther sang:

'Who loves not wine, woman and song,

He is a fool his whole life long!' 

A Doe In The City

Little Kitty Lorimer,

Fair, and young, and witty,

What has brought your ladyship

Rambling to