Classic Poem

I
For there's Bishop's Teign
And King's Teign
And Coomb at the clear Teign head —
Where close by the stream
You may have your cream
All spread upon barley bread.

II
There's Arch Brook
And there's Larch Brook
Both turning many a mill;
And cooling the drouth
Of the salmon's mouth,
And fattening his silver gill.

III
There is Wild Wood,
A mild hood
To the sheep on the lea o' the down,
Where the golden furze,
With its green, thin spurs,
Doth catch at the maiden's gown.

IV
There is Newton Marsh
With its spear grass harsh —
A pleasant summer level
Where the maidens sweet
Of the Market Street
Do meet in the dusk to revel.

V
There's the barton rich
With dyke and ditch
And hedge for the thrush to live in,
And the hollow tree
For the buzzing bee
And a bank for the wasp to hive in.

VI
And O, and O,
The daisies blow
And the primroses are wakened,
And violet white
Sits in silver plight,
And the green bud's as long as the spike end.

VII
Then who would go
Into dark Soho,
And chatter with dacked-haired critics,
When he can stay
For the new-mown hay,
And startle the dappled prickets?