Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Lesley Halamek and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Transcriber's Note: The Pronunciation Guide and Word List are at the end of the book.] _POEMS OF RURAL LIFE IN THE DORSET DIALECT._ BY WILLIAM BARNES. [Illustration] LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & Co., LTD. 1903 _TO THE READER._ KIND READER, Two of the three Collections of these Dorset Poems have been, for some time, out of print, and the whole of the three sets are now brought out in one volume. I have little more to say for them, than that the writing of them as glimpses of life and landscape in Dorset, which often open to my memory and mindsight, has given me very much pleasure; and my happiness would be enhanced if I could believe that you would feel my sketches to be so truthful and pleasing as to give you even a small share of pleasure, such as that of the memories from which I have written them. This edition has a list of such Dorset words as are found in the Poems, with some hints on Dorset word shapes, and I hope that they will be found a fully good key to the meanings of the verse. Yours kindly, W. BARNES _June 1879._ CONTENTS. FIRST COLLECTION. SPRING. The Spring 3 The Woodlands 4 Leaedy-Day, an' Ridden House 5 Easter Zunday 8 Easter Monday 9 Dock-Leaves 9 The Blackbird 10 Woodcom' Feaest 12 The Milk-Maid o' the Farm 13 The Girt Woak Tree that's in the Dell 15 Vellen o' the Tree 16 Bringen Woone Gwain o' Zundays 17 Evenen Twilight 18 Evenen in the Village 20 May 20 Bob the Fiddler 22 Hope in Spring 23 The White Road up athirt the Hill 24 The Woody Hollow 25 Jenny's Ribbons 26 Eclogue:--The 'Lotments 28 Eclogue:--A Bit o' Sly Coorten 30 SUMMER.