Oliver Goldsmith’s 'The Village Schoolmaster' 🌸: A Charming Portrait of Rural Life

Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way <br />With blossom'd furze unprofitably gay, <br />There, in his noisy mansion, skill'd to rule, <br />The village master taught his little school; <br />A man severe he was, and stern to view, <br />I knew him well, and every truant knew; <br />Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace <br />The days disasters in his morning face; <br />Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited glee, <br />At all his jokes, for many a joke had he: <br />Full well the busy whisper, circling round, <br />Convey'd the dismal tidings when he frown'd: <br />Yet he was kind; or if severe in aught, <br />The love he bore to learning was in fault. <br />The village all declar'd how much he knew; <br />'Twas certain he could write, and cipher too: <br />Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage, <br />And e'en the story ran that he could gauge. <br />In arguing too, the parson own'd his skill, <br />For e'en though vanquish'd he could argue still; <br />While words of learned length and thund'ring sound <br />Amazed the gazing rustics rang'd around; <br />And still they gaz'd and still the wonder grew, <br />That one small head could carry all he knew. <br />But past is all his fame. The very spot <br />Where many a time he triumph'd is forgot.<br /><br />Oliver Goldsmith<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-village-schoolmaster/