I knew an old man at a Fair
Who made it his twice-yearly task
To clamber on a cider cask
And cry to all the yokels there:-
“Lovers to-day and for all time
Preserve the meaning of my rhyme:
Love is not kindly nor yet grim
But does to you as you to him.
“Whistle, and Love will come to you,
Hiss, and he fades without a word,
Do wrong, and he great wrong will do,
Speak, he retells what he has heard.
“Then all you lovers have good heed
Vex not young Love in word or deed:
Love never leaves an unpaid debt,
He will not pardon nor forget.”
The old man's voice was sweet yet loud
And this shows what a man was he,
He'd scatter apples to the crowd
And give great draughts of cider, free.
Advice To Lovers
Robert Graves
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Poem topics: I love you, never, time, whistle, voice, sweet, good, young, forget, speak, rhyme, preserve, Valentine's Day, crowd, great, wrong, love, I miss you, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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Write your comment about Advice To Lovers poem by Robert Graves
Billy Hamilton: A wonderful compact little poem. Interesting rhyme pattern.
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