17 pages • 34 minutes read
Robert HerrickA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Herrick’s poem “The Argument of His Book” is a tabulation by the speaker of all of the different topics about which they can write or sing. The repetition of “I sing” and “I write” emphasizes the creative abilities of the speaker, as singing and writing are considered artistic expressions. By listing all the different topics about which they sing and write, the speaker demonstrates their imaginative prowess. On one hand, they can write about nature: “brooks” (Line 1); “blossoms” (Line 1); “birds” (Line 1); “bowers” (Line 1); “flowers” (Line 2); “dews” (Line 7); “rains: (Line 7); “roses” (Line 10); “lilies” (Line 10); “groves” (Line 11); and “twilight” (Line 11). They can sing about celebrations and relationships: “May-poles” (Line 3); “hock-carts” (Line 3); “wassails” (Line 3); “wakes” (Line 3); “bridegrooms” (Line 4); “brides” (Line 4); “bridal-cakes” (Line 4); “youth” (Line 5); and “love” (Line 4). They also like to detail thoughts about luxury items or trade goods: “balm” (Line 8), “oil” (Line 8), “spice” (Line 8); “ambergris” (Line 8). They can weave both Christian and personified/mythological beings and places into their text: “the court of Mab” (Line 12); “the fairy king” (Line 12); “Time’s trans-shifting” (Line 9); “Hell” (Line 13) and “Heaven” (Line 14).
By Robert Herrick
Delight in Disorder
Delight in Disorder
Robert Herrick
Delight in Disorder: Selected Poems
Delight in Disorder: Selected Poems
Robert Herrick
To Daffodils
To Daffodils
Robert Herrick
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
Robert Herrick