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Lyric Poem · Nature

Upon Roses

by Robert Herrick

Under a lawn, than skies more clear,

Some ruffled Roses nestling were,

And snugging there, they seem'd to lie

As in a flowery nunnery;

They blush'd, and look'd more fresh than flowers

Quickened of late by pearly showers;

And all, because they were possest

But of the heat of Julia's breast,

Which, as a warm and moisten'd spring,

Gave them their ever-flourishing.

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

Quick facts

Poem
Upon Roses
Poet
Robert Herrick
Length
10 lines
Form
Lyric Poem
Themes
Nature, Spring, Short

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape
10 lines · one 10-line stanza
Line length
Mostly 8-syllable lines (tetrameter length).

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record
Robert Herrick1591–1674
Source record
PoetryDBUpon Roses by robert-herrick, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision
Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record
Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint
SHA-256 22fa475904ff08ef
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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