Skip to content
Linespedia

Ceremonies For Candlemas Eve

By Robert Herrick

Topics: classic

Down with the rosemary and bays, Down with the misletoe; Instead of holly, now up-raise The greener box, for show. The holly hitherto did sway; Let box now domineer, Until the dancing Easter-day, Or Easter's eve appear. Then youthful box, which now hath grace Your houses to renew, Grown old, surrender must his place Unto the crisped yew. When yew is out, then birch comes in, And many flowers beside, Both of a fresh and fragrant kin, To honour Whitsuntide. Green rushes then, and sweetest bents, With cooler oaken boughs, Come in for comely ornaments, To re-adorn the house. Thus times do shift; each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"Down with the rosemary and bays,..."

"Ceremonies For Candlemas Eve" is a quintessential example of Robert Herrick's signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:Robert Herrick

"Down with the rosemary and bays,..." by Robert Herrick

For usage rights, copyright concerns, or to report an issue with this content, please visit our Copyright & Report page.

Related lines

"I freeze, I freeze, and nothing dwells     In me but snow and icicles.     For pity's sake, give your advice,     To melt this snow and thaw th"

"Kings must be dauntless; subjects will contemn     Those who want hearts and wear a diadem."

"And, cruel maid, because I see You scornful of my love, and me, I'll trouble you no more, but go My way, where you shall never know What is become"

"For thirty years Tubbs has been proud and poor;     'Tis now his habit, which he can't give o'er."

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Robert Herrick

About Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick (1591–1674) was an English Cavalier poet whose "Hesperides" (1648) contains over 1,200 poems. His carpe diem verse "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" ("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may") and lyric poems celebrate love, beauty, and the passing of time.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

"I freeze, I freeze, and nothing dwells     In me b..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.