William Barnes, Dialect Poems in the Dorset County Chronicle

T. L. Burton is an Emeritus Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Adelaide. He is co-editor of The Complete Poems of William Barnes, 3 vols (2013–) and the author of William Barnes’s Dialect Poems: A Pronunciation Guide (2010) and The Sound of William Barnes’s Dialect Poems, 3 vols (2013–17). Emma Mason is Professor of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick. She has written widely on Christianity and literature, and, with Mark Knight, edits the New Directions in Religion and Literature series. Her most recent book is Christina Rossetti: Poetry, Ecology, Faith (2018). John Blackmore completed his PhD on nineteenth-century regional writing and nationhood at the University of Exeter in 2023. A researcher, singer-songwriter, and teacher, he has published in Victorian Literary Languages (2022), English (2024), the Thomas Hardy Journal (2024), and the William Barnes Newsletter (2025). His album, Beauty of Blackmore (2017), includes several musical settings of Barnes’s poems.

William Barnes is a great lyric and political poet, but his achievement has often been obscured by difficulties associated with his dialect. Now, for the first time, the development of his subjects and language are thoroughly illuminated, in an edition which restores Barnes to his rightful eminence among Victorian poets.

• FiguresAbbreviationsSeries PrefacePrefaceAcknowledgementsIntroductionTimelineLanguage: Dialectal FeaturesNote on the Text Poems 1–126 (in the broad form of the dialect), DCC 1834–441 Rusticus Dolens; Or, Inclosures of Common2 Rusticus Gaudens. Eclogue 2—The Allotment System3 Eclogue 3.—Rusticus Narrans. A Cousin down vrom Lon’on4 Eclogue 4. Rusticus Emigrans. Emigration5 Eclogue 5. Rusticus Rixans; Or, “The Best Man in the Field”6 Eclogue VI.—Rusticus Domi. Faether Come Huom7 Eclogue 7. Rusticus Procus. A bit o’ sly coorten8 Eclogue 8. Rusticus Res Politicas Animadvertens. The New Poor Laws9 The Unioners10 Christmas Invitation11 The Settle an’ the Girt Wood Vire12 The Carter13 The Girt Woak Tree That’s in the Dell14 The Shepherd o’ the Farm15 Woodcom’ Fieast16 The Milk-Maid o’ the Farm17 Evemen in the Village18 Liady-Day an’ Ridden House19 Easter Time20 Evemen, an’ Maidens Out at Door21 A Zong22 May23 Whitsuntide an’ Club Wa’ken24 Hay-Miaken25 Hay-Carren26 The Work Buoy o’ the Farm27 The Maid var My Bride28 Summer Evemen Dance29 Carn Aturnen Yoller30 Harvest Huome. The vust piart. The Supper31 Harvest Huome. Second Piart.—What tha’ done ater Supper32 The Huomestead33 Tiaken in Apples34 Bob the Fiddler35 Martin’s Tide36 Keepen Up o’ Chris’mas37 The Happy Daes When I Wer Young38 Thomas Ariecommenden Miaster’s Woldest Daeter39 In the Stillness o’ the Night40 Uncle Out o’ Debt an’ Out o’ Dannger41 Sleep Did Come wi’ the Dew42 The Church an’ Happy Sunday43 Sweet Music in the Wind44 Vellen the Tree45 I Got Two Viel’s46 Uncle an’ Ant47 The Wold Waggon48 The Drove49 The Common Atook In50 A Wold Friend51 Bees A-Zwarmen52 A-Halen Carn53 Jenny Out from Huome54 The Ruose That Deck’d Her Breast55 Out A-Nutten56 A Bit o’ Fun57 Nanny’s Cow58 The Shep’erd Buoy59 Haven Oon’s Fortun a-Tuold60 Grammer’s Shoes61 Hope a-Left Behine62 Woak Wer Good Enough Oonce63 A Witch64 A Ghost65 Bringen Oon Gwain o’ Zundays66 A Good Faether67 The Spring68 Readen ov a Headstuone69 Miary-Ann’s Chile70 The Beam in Grenley Church71 Dock Leaves72 The Woody Holler73 Jenny’s Ribbons74 Jian’s Wedden Dae in Marnen75 Rivers Don’t Gi’e Out76 Polly be-en Upzides wi’ Tom77 Beami’ster78 Wik’s-End in Zummer, in the Wold Vo’ke’s Time79 Thatchen o’ the Rick80 The Vaices That Be Gone81 Poll82 Looks A-Know’d Avore83 A Zong Ov Harvest Huom84 Grenley Water85 Miaple Leaves Be Yoller86 The Weather-Biaten Tree87 Poll’s Jack Da88 The Ivy89 Fanny’s Bethda90 The Vrost91 The Music o’ the Dead92 What Dick an’ I Done93 The Blackbird. [I]94 The Pliace a Tiale’s a-Tuold o’95 Axen Maidens to Goo to Fiair96 Veels in the Light97 Hope in Spring98 Miaken Up a Miff99 The White Road Up Athirt the Hill100 Wher We Did Kip Our Flagon101 Ant’s Tantrums102 The Stuonen Puorch103 Farmers’ Sons104 Jiane105 Shodon Fiair. The vust piart106 Shodon Fiair. The rest ō’t107 The Brook That Runn’d by Gramfer’s108 Marnen109 The Viary Veet That I Da Meet110 Guy Faux’s Night111 The Dree Woaks112 The Huomestead a-Vell into Han’113 The Welshnut Tree114 Zitten Out the Wold Year115 Zunsheen in the Winter116 The Weepen Liady117 The Woodlands118 Evemen Twilight119 The Evemen Star o’ Zummer120 The Sky a-Clearen121 The Meäd a-Mow’d122 The Clote123 The Bells of Alderburnham124 The D’rection Post125 Night A-Zetten In126 Jean o’ Grenley MillPoems 127–338 (in the modified form of the dialect), DCC 1856–86127 The Bit o’ Ground at Huome. Eclogue128 The Bachelor129 The Young that Died in Beauty130 The Poplars131 Culver Dell and the Squire132 The Leane133 The Motherless Child134 Bishop’s Caendle135 The Winter’s Willow136 My Orchet in Linden Lea137 The Heare138 Pentridge by the River139 OOne Rule140 The Stage Coach141 Lydlinch Bells142 Hallowed Pleaces143 The Pleace our own Agean144 Faetherhood145 Our Abode in Arby Wood146 Trees be Company147 The Raïlroad [I]148 Meary’s Smile149 Gruffmoody Grim150 The Maid o’ Newton151 Our Faethers’ Works152 Spring153 Out at Plough154 Herrenston155 A Faether Out, an’ Mother Hwome156 Milken Time157 Gammony Gay158 Anngels by the Door159 The Water Crowvoot160 The Water-spring in the Leäne161 The Meäd in June162 Mindèn House163 Seats164 Hay Meaken—Nunchen Time165 The Scud166 The Shy Man167 When Birds be Still168 Fair Emily ov Yarrow-Mill169 Early Risen170 The Sparrow Club171 Wheat172 Day’s Work a-done173 The Lovely Maid ov Elwell Mead174 The Leädy’s Tower175 False Friends-like176 Zun-Zet177 Riden Hwome at Night178 Meary Wedded179 I Know Who180 Nanny Gill181 The Wold Vo’k Dead182 Zellen oones Honey to Buy Zome’hat Sweet183 The Slanten Light o’ Fall184 The Wold Wall185 Sam’el down vrom Lun’on186 The Stwonen Bwoy upon the Pillar187 Happiness188 Bleäke’s House in Blackmwore189 The Vier-zide190 Wold Friends a-Met191 Married peair’s Love Walk192 Ellen Brine of Allenburn193 John Bleake at Hwome at Night194 Ivy-Hall195 The Waggon A-stooded196 Fifehead197 Vo’k A-comen into Church198 Knowlwood199 The Linden on the Lawn200 Gwäin Down the Steps vor Water201 Good Meäster Collins202 Childhood203 Brookwell204 Gwaïn to Brookwell205 The thorns in the geäte206 Dobbin Dead207 Our Bethpleace208 Jessie Lee209 The Lilac210 The Zummer Hedge211 The Blackbird [II]212 The Beän Vield213 The Windor Freämed wi’ Stwone214 True Love215 Wayfearen216 A Pleäce in Zight217 Sound o’ Water218 A Wife a-praïsed219 The Raïlroad [II]220 Blackmwore Maïdens221 The Wife a-lost222 Thissledown223 Riddles224 Leeburn Mill225 Beauty Undecked226 The Beäten Paeth227 Zummer an’ Winter228 Sha’sbury Feäir229 Ruth A-ridèn230 Open Vields231 Fancy232 Praïse o’ Do’set233 My Love’s Guardian Angel234 The Better vor Zeèn o’ You235 Don’t Ceäre236 Fall Time [I]237 My Love is Good238 Pity239 John Bloom in Lon’on240 Not Goo Hwome To Night241 Zummer Winds242 Evenèn Light243 The Broken Heart244 Heedless o’ my Love245 The Giants in Treädes246 A Life247 The Little Worold248 Comèn Hwome249 Grammer A-crippled250 Zummer Thoughts in Winter Time251 The Pillar’d Geäte252 Body an’ Mind253 Turnèn Things Off254 Grief and Gladness255 Linda Deäne256 Vields by Watervalls257 Knapton Tower258 Two and Two259 Treät Well Your Wife260 Danel Dwythen, the Wise Chap261 Withstanders262 The Wind in oone’s Feäce263 The Year-Clock264 The Turnstile265 Lindenore266 Hawthorn Down267 Tokens268 Zunday269 Kindness270 The Be-twattled Rhymer271 Changes272 Blessèns a-left273 Woakland Dell274 Love Below the Trees275 The Flood in Spring276 The Lew o’ the Rick277 The Feäir Market Maïd278 Tweil279 Childern’s Childern280 The Rwose in the Dark281 The New House agetten Wold282 The Neäme Letters283 Sheädes284 Racketèn Joe285 Fall Time [II]286 The Widow’s House287 Times o’ Year288 Vull a Man289 Naighbour Plaÿmeätes290 The Zilver-Weed291 The Castle Ruins292 John, Jealous at Shroton Fair293 The Child an’ the Mowers294 The Love Child295 The Echo296 Woone Smile Mwore297 Lwonesomeness298 Slidèn299 I’m out o’ Door300 The Two Churches301 The Lark302 Woak Hill303 The Hollor Woak304 What John wer a-tellèn his Mis’ess out in the Corn-ground305 The Wheel Routs306 A Snowy Night307 Hedger308 Leaves A-Vallèn309 The Little Hwomstead310 The Dorset Militia311 The Mother’s Dream312 The Dog wi’ me313 The Wind at the Door314 The Sister and Brothers315 The Lost Little Sister316 The Surprise317 Lowshot Light318 A Wish a-come True319 The Fall320 On the Hill321 Green322 The Broken Jug323 The Stream-zide324 White an’ Blue325 When we wer Young together326 Two-peart Zingen327 Winter A-Comen328 John Brine Angry329 White in the Night330 The Vield Path331 The Prize Winners332 Winter Weather333 Clouds334 A Dorset Sale335 The Bars on the Ridge336 Rings337 Maiden Newton Fancy Fair338 The Geate a Vallen toTextual VariantsNotes on the PoemsGlossarial NotesKey to Phonetic SymbolsAppendix: Poems Not Found in DCCBibliographyIndex of Titles and First Lines