Jesse Sharpe PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

Herrick’s Church of Earthly Delights 175
for browsing: it is quite clear that the poet himself thought of Hesperides as a “long
[continuous] work” (“To the generous Reader” [H-95], l.6), to be read from beginning to
end, in sequence’. 6
Likewise, the book itself begins with a sonnet, ‘The Argument of his
Book’ (H-1), which tells the reader what Herrick’s main themes are going to be, and shows
that he intends his readers to approach the book as a complete unit, or as Anne Baynes
Coiro nicely put it, the poem is ‘a succinct statement of intent’. 7
That ‘The Argument’ can be considered an overview of what is to be contained in
both sections of Hesperides is further reinforced by the fact that the next seven poems are
addressed to the book, thereby creating an introduction that leads the reader into the
volume and sets the tone for what is come. Regarding the seven poems addressed to the
book, one is addressed to its muse, 8 five are addressed to his book, 9 and a final poem
declares ‘When he would have his verses read’ (H-8), in these Herrick is leading his
readers into a work that he anticipates will be considered in all its parts, and that will
require both a proper setting and response for the verses. The reception he demands is one
which is festive, and in this festive and celebratory mood the reader will be more receptive
to his theology of temporal pleasure brought through the participation in the carnal,
carnival, and carnivorous – the bacchanalian celebration of women, wine, and meat.
It is telling that ‘The Argument’s odd numbered lines all begin with either the
phrase ‘I sing’ 10 or ‘I write’, 11 thus letting the reader prepare oneself for what is to come,
and also indicating that the themes that follow each statement of ‘I sing’ or I write’ are
related to and speak to one another. In addition to this, the declaration ‘I sing’ is the call of
6 ‘Witty by Design’, p. 141.
7 Robert Herrick’s Hesperides and the Epigram Book Tradition, p. 5.
8 ‘To his Muse’ (H-2).
9 ‘To his Booke’ (H-3), ‘Another’ (H-4), ‘Another’ (H-5), ‘To the soure Reader’ (H-6), and ‘To his Booke’
(H-7).
10 J. Max Patrick (ed.), The Complete Poetry of Robert Herrick (New York, 1963), lines 1, 3, 7, 9. All
quotations and numbering are from this edition, unless otherwise noted.
11 lines 5, 11, 13.