Ah me! those old familiar bounds!
That classic house, those classic grounds
My pensive1 thought recalls!
What tender urchins2 now confine,
What little captives now repine,
Within yon irksome walls?
2.
Ay, that’s the very house! I know
Its ugly windows, ten a-row!
Its chimneys in the rear!
And there’s the iron rod so high,
That drew the thunder from the sky
And turn’d our table-beer!
3.
There I was birch’d! there I was bred!
There like a little Adam fed
From Learning’s woeful tree!
The weary tasks I used to con3! —
The hopeless leaves I wept upon! —
Most fruitless leaves to me! —
4.
The summon’d class! — the awful bow! —
I wonder who is master now
And wholesome5 anguish6 sheds!
How many ushers7 now employs,
How many maids to see the boys
Have nothing in their heads!
5.
And Mrs. S——? — Doth she abet8
(Like Pallas in the parlor) yet
Some favor’d two or three —
The little Crichtons of the hour,
Her muffin-medals that devour9,
And swill10 her prize — bohea?
6.
Ay, there’s the playground! there’s the lime,
Beneath whose shade in summer’s prime
So wildly I have read! —
Who sits there now, and skims the cream
Of young Romance, and weaves a dream
Of Love and Cottage-bread?
7.
Who struts11 the Randall of the walk?
Who models tiny heads in chalk?
Who scoops12 the light canoe?
What early genius buds apace?
Where’s Poynter? Harris? Bowers13? Chase?
Hal Baylis? blithe14 Carew?
8.
Alack! they’re gone — a thousand ways!
And some are serving in “the Greys,”
And some have perish’d young! —
Jack15 Harris weds16 his second wife;
Hal Baylis drives the wane17 of life;
And blithe Carew — is hung!
9.
Grave Bowers teaches A B C
To savages18 at Owhyee;
Poor Chase is with the worms! —
All, all are gone — the olden breed! —
New crops of mushroon boys succeed,
“And push us from our forms!”
10.
Lo! where they scramble19 forth20, and shout,
And leap, and skip, and mob about,
At play where we have play’d!
Some hop4, some run, (some fall,) some twine21
Their crony arms; some in the shine —
And some are in the shade!
11.
Lo there what mix’d conditions run!
The orphan22 lad; the widow’s son;
And Fortune’s favor’d care —
The wealthy-born, for whom she hath
Mac-Adamised the future path —
The Nabob’s pamper’d heir!
12.
Some brightly starr’d — some evil born —
For honor some, and some for scorn —
For fair or foul23 renown24!
Good, bad, indiff’rent — none may lack!
Look, here’s a White, and there’s a Black
And there’s a Creole brown!
13.
Some laugh and sing, some mope and weep,
And wish their frugal25 sires would keep
Their only sons at home; —
Some tease their future tense, and plan
The full-grown doings of the man,
And plant for years to come!
14.
A foolish wish! There’s one at hoop26;
And four at fives! and five who stoop
The marble taw to speed!
And one that curvets in and out,
Reining27 his fellow Cob about —
Would I were in his steed!
15.
Yet he would glady halt and drop
That boyish harness off, to swop
With this world’s heavy van —
To toil28, to tug29. O little fool!
While thou canst be a horse at school,
To wish to be a man!
16.
Perchance thou deem’st it were a thing
To wear a crown — to be a king!
And sleep on regal down!
Alas30! thou know’st not kingly cares;
For happier is thy head that wears
That hat without a crown!
17.
And dost thou think that years acquire
New added joys? Dost think thy sire
More happy than his son?
That manhood’s mirth? — Oh, go thy ways
To Drury-lane when —plays,
And see how forced our fun!
18.
Thy taws are brave! — thy tops are rare! —
Our tops are spun31 with coils of care,
Our dumps are no delight! —
The Elgin marbles are but tame,
And ’tis at best a sorry game
To fly the Muse’s kite!
19.
Our hearts are dough32, our heels are lead,
Our topmost joys fall dull and dead
Like balls with no rebound33!
And often with a faded eye
We look behind, and send a sigh
Towards that merry ground!
20.
Then be contented34. Thou hast got
The most of heaven in thy young lot;
There’s sky-blue in thy cup!
Thou’lt find thy Manhood all too fast —
Soon come, soon gone! and Age at last
A sorry breaking-up!
点击收听单词发音
1 pensive | |
a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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2 urchins | |
n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 );淘气鬼;猬;海胆 | |
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3 con | |
n.反对的观点,反对者,反对票,肺病;vt.精读,学习,默记;adv.反对地,从反面;adj.欺诈的 | |
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4 hop | |
n.单脚跳,跳跃;vi.单脚跳,跳跃;着手做某事;vt.跳跃,跃过 | |
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5 wholesome | |
adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的 | |
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6 anguish | |
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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7 ushers | |
n.引座员( usher的名词复数 );招待员;门房;助理教员v.引,领,陪同( usher的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8 abet | |
v.教唆,鼓励帮助 | |
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9 devour | |
v.吞没;贪婪地注视或谛听,贪读;使着迷 | |
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10 swill | |
v.冲洗;痛饮;n.泔脚饲料;猪食;(谈话或写作中的)无意义的话 | |
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11 struts | |
(框架的)支杆( strut的名词复数 ); 支柱; 趾高气扬的步态; (尤指跳舞或表演时)卖弄 | |
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12 scoops | |
n.小铲( scoop的名词复数 );小勺;一勺[铲]之量;(抢先刊载、播出的)独家新闻v.抢先报道( scoop的第三人称单数 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等) | |
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13 bowers | |
n.(女子的)卧室( bower的名词复数 );船首锚;阴凉处;鞠躬的人 | |
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14 blithe | |
adj.快乐的,无忧无虑的 | |
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15 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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16 weds | |
v.嫁,娶,(与…)结婚( wed的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17 wane | |
n.衰微,亏缺,变弱;v.变小,亏缺,呈下弦 | |
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18 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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19 scramble | |
v.爬行,攀爬,杂乱蔓延,碎片,片段,废料 | |
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20 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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21 twine | |
v.搓,织,编饰;(使)缠绕 | |
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22 orphan | |
n.孤儿;adj.无父母的 | |
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23 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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24 renown | |
n.声誉,名望 | |
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25 frugal | |
adj.节俭的,节约的,少量的,微量的 | |
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26 hoop | |
n.(篮球)篮圈,篮 | |
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27 reining | |
勒缰绳使(马)停步( rein的现在分词 ); 驾驭; 严格控制; 加强管理 | |
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28 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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29 tug | |
v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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30 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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31 spun | |
v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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32 dough | |
n.生面团;钱,现款 | |
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33 rebound | |
v.弹回;n.弹回,跳回 | |
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34 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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