The Rowfant books, how fair they show, The quarto quaint, the Aldine tall, Print, autograph, portfolio! Back from the outer air they call The athletes from the tennis ball, This rhymer from his rod and hooks; Would I could sing them one and all, The Rowfant books! The Rowfant books! In sun and snow They're dear, but most when tempests fall; The folio towers above the row As once, o'er minor prophets-Saul! What jolly jest books and what small 'Dear dumpy twelves' to fill the nooks. You do not find on every stall The Rowfant books! The Rowfant books These long ago Were chained within some college hall; These manuscripts retain the glow Of many a coloured capital; While yet the Satires keep their gall, While the Pastissier puzzles cooks, Theirs is a joy that does not pall, The Rowfant books! Envoy The Rowfant books -ah magical As famed Armida's 'golden looks', They hold the rhymer for their thrall- The Rowfant books. *NOTE: The Rowfant Books are a collection of rare and valuable books, primarily focused on literature and fine printing. These books were gathered and assembled by Charles Freer Andrews (1835-1918), an American businessman and collector. The collection is named after Rowfant, a village in West Sussex, England, where Andrews had a country residence. The Rowfant Books are highly sought after by bibliophiles and collectors due to their unique and often beautifully bound editions. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TWO POEMS FROM THE WAR: 1 by ARCHIBALD MACLEISH WILLIE BREW'D A PECK O' MAUT by ROBERT BURNS SONG OF THE RABBITS OUTSIDE THE TAVERN by ELIZABETH JANE COATSWORTH LEE TO THE REAR [MAY 12, 1864] by JOHN REUBEN THOMPSON A SLEEPLESS NIGHT by ALFRED AUSTIN AUTUMN; WRITTEN IN THE GROUNDS OF MARTIN COLE, ESQ. by BERNARD BARTON |