The Man And His Horse

Anne Kingsmill Finch 1661 – 1720 (Westminster)



Within a Meadow, on the way,
A sordid Churl resolv'd to stay,
   And give his Horse a Bite;
Purloining so his Neighbours Hay,
That at the Inn he might not pay
   For Forage all the Night.

With Heart's content th' unloaded Steed
Began to neigh, and frisk, and feed;
   For nothing more he car'd,
Since none of all his Master's breed
E'er found such Pasture, at their need,
   Or half so well had far'd.

When, in the turning of a Hand,
Out comes the Owner of the Land,
   And do's the Trespass eye;
Which puts poor Bayard to a Stand,
For now his Master do's command
   Him to return and fly.

But Hunger quick'ning up his Wit,
And Grass being sweeter than the Bit,
   He to the Clown reply'd;
Shall I for you this Dinner quit,
Who to my Back hard Burdens fit,
   And to the Death wou'd ride?

No; shou'd I as a Stray be found,
And seiz'd upon forbidden Ground,
   I'll on this Spot stand still;
For tho' new Riders shou'd abound,
(Or did Mankind this Field surround)
   They cou'd but use me ill.

Urge no Man to despair; lest in the Fit
He with some Counterblow thy Head may hit.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:06 min read
51

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABAAB CCDCCD EEFEEF GGBGGX HHIHHI GG
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,083
Words 205
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2

Anne Kingsmill Finch

Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (née Kingsmill), was an English poet and courtier. Finch's works often express a desire for respect as a female poet, lamenting her difficult position as a woman in the literary establishment and the court, while writing of "political ideology, religious orientation, and aesthetic sensibility". Her works also allude to other female authors of the time, such as Aphra Behn and Katherine Phillips. Through her commentary on the mental and spiritual equality of the genders and the importance of women fulfilling their potential as a moral duty to themselves and to society, she is regarded as one of the integral female poets of the Restoration Era. Finch died in Westminster in 1720 and was buried at her home at Eastwell, Kent.  more…

All Anne Kingsmill Finch poems | Anne Kingsmill Finch Books

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