And there he threw the Wash about,
On both sides of the way,
Just like unto a trundling mop,

Or a wild goose at play.

5 At Edmonton, his loving, wife From the balcony spied

10

Her tender husband, wondering much

To see how he did ride.

"Stop, stop, John Gilpin!-Here's the house!"

They all at once did cry;

"The dinner waits, and we are tired."

Said Gilpin "So am I."

"What news? what news? your tidings tell;

Tell me you must and shall— Say why bareheaded you are come,

Or why you come at all?"

5 Now Gilpin had a pleasant wit,
And loved a timely joke;
And thus unto the calender,
In merry guise, he spoke:

10

"I came because your horse would come; And, if I well forbode,

My hat and wig will soon be here--
They are upon the road."

The calender, right glad to find
His friend in merry pin,

15 Returned him not a single word.
But to the house went in;

20

When straight he came, with hat and wig-
A wig that flowed behind,

A hat not much the worse for wear,
Each comely in its kind.

He held them up, and in his turn,
Thus showed his ready wit:
"My head is twice as big as yours,
They therefore needs must fit.

25 "But let me scrape the dirt away
That hangs upon your face;
And stop and eat, for well you may
Be in a hungry case."

25 And thus unto the youth she said, That drove them to the Bell,

"This shall be yours, when you bring back My husband safe and well."

Now let us sing, Long live the King,
And Gilpin, long live he;

And when he next doth ride abroad,
May I be there to see!

NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Biography. William Cowper (1731-1800) was born at Great Berkhamstead, England. He attended Westminster School and later was admitted to the bar. He wrote a number of long poems, of which The Task is probably the best known. "John Gilpin" is undoubtedly his most popular short poem. Cowper suffered greatly from melancholy; one day when he was feeling depressed, a friend told him the story of John Gilpin. He was so much amused that he determined to share his enjoyment with others, and the next day he wrote the ballad.

Discussion. 1. How does the poet's language add to the humor of the poem? 2. Find stanzas in which the humor is furnished entirely by the poet's manner of telling something. 3. What expression in line 12, page 116, shows that this is not a very modern poem? 4. What do you think was the poet's purpose in writing this ballad? 5. Have you read any other poems that amuse and entertain you as this ballad does? 6. Can you name an American poet who has written humorous poems? 7. What good does such a poem as this do? 8. The story of this poem is a good one to test your power of visualizing incidents and scenes, as you were advised to do in the Introduction on page 96. Make a list of the pictures that would be contained in your "private moving picture show" for this story. Where in this series would you place the picture on page 113? 9. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: trainband; calender; agog; trice; gambol; guise; bootless; posting; amain. 10. Pronounce: tedious; comely.

of credit and renown, 116,

chaise and pair, 116, 12

for that, 117, 2

neck or naught, 119, 17

2

Phrases for Study

running such a rig, 119, 20
he carries weight, 120, 7

basted been, 120, 20

in merry pin, 122, 14

Magazine Reading. Bring to class and read, or make a brief report on, the most interesting narrative in verse that you have read in a magazine.