AN EPITAPH UPON A CHILD
Virgins promised when I died, That they would each primrose-tide Duly, morn and evening, come, And with flowers dress my tomb. --Having promised, pay your debts Maids, and here strew violets.
Robert Herrick
Virgins promised when I died, That they would each primrose-tide Duly, morn and evening, come, And with flowers dress my tomb. --Having promised, pay your debts Maids, and here strew violets.
The speaker here is the buried child, and what a strange, unforgettable effect that has. From the grave, the child reminds us—or, more precisely, the local maidens—of a promise made.
Read the full summary