James Thomson (11 September 1700 – 27 August 1748 / Ednam in Roxburghshire, Scotland)
Gifts
GIVE a man a horse he can ride,
Give a man a boat he can sail;
And his rank and wealth, his strength and health,
On sea nor shore shall fail.
Give a man a pipe he can smoke,
Give a man a book he can read:
And his home is bright with a calm delight,
Though the room be poor indeed.
Give a man a girl he can love,
As I, O my love, love thee;
And his heart is great with the pulse of Fate,
At home, on land, on sea.
Read poems about / on: horse, strength, girl, home, fate, sea, love, heart
PoemHunter.com Updates
-
Your Favorite Poets’ Favorite Books of Poetry
-
Daily Rituals of Famous Authors
Writers seem to be the most prone to unshakeable routines and elaborate superstitions.
-
Incredible Reading Rooms Around the World
Cozy, beautiful places to curl up with a good book...
-
Happy Birthday Honoré de Balzac!
(1799 - 1850) French novelist and playwright
Top 500 Poems
-
Phenomenal Woman
Maya Angelou
-
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
-
Still I Rise
Maya Angelou
-
If You Forget Me
Pablo Neruda
-
Dreams
Langston Hughes
-
Annabel Lee
Edgar Allan Poe
-
If
Rudyard Kipling
-
A Dream Within A Dream
Edgar Allan Poe
-
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
-
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost

heard this poem read at a wedding, perfect for the occasion