About this poem

Question

Hi,What does "staid" mean in the following poem? Although I know it is a variant spelling of "stayed", I don't know what it means here.Also, what are "amearst" and "penance dew"?I'd appreciate your helpRay=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3DFresh Spring, the herald of love=92s mighty king,In whose cote-armour richly are displayedAll sorts of flowers, the which on earth do spring, In goodly colours gloriously arrayd=97Goe to my love, where she is carelesse layd,Yet in her winters bowre not well awake ;Tell her the joyous time will not be staidUnlesse she doe him by the forelock take ;Bid her therefore her selfe soone ready makeTo wayt on Love amongst his lovely crew ;Where every one, that misseth then her make,Shall be by him amearst with penance dew.Make hast, therefore, sweet love, whilest it is prime ; For none can call againe the passed time.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

Hi,
What does "staid" mean in the following poem? Although I know it is a variant spelling of "stayed", I don't know what it means here.

"Delayed, held up" - if she doesn't wake up quickly and enjoy the springtime, it will have gone by.
"Amearst" would usually be spelt "amerced", meaning "fined, or punished in some way".
"Penance dew" - same as "due". Cupid ("Love") will make any girl very sorry if she doesn't quickly find her "make" (= "mate").
Also, what are "amearst" and "penance dew"?
I'd appreciate your help
Ray

=
Fresh Spring, the herald of love?s mighty king,
In whose cote-armour richly are displayed
All sorts of flowers, the which on earth do spring, In goodly colours gloriously arrayd?
Goe to my love, where she is carelesse layd,
Yet in her winters bowre not well awake ;
Tell her the joyous time will not be staid
Unlesse she doe him by the forelock take ;
Bid her therefore her selfe soone ready make
To wayt on Love amongst his lovely crew ;
Where every one, that misseth then her make,
Shall be by him amearst with penance dew.
Make hast, therefore, sweet love, whilest it is prime ; For none can call againe the passed time.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hi, What does "staid" mean in the following poem? Although I know it is a variant spelling of "stayed", I don't know what it means here. "Delayed, held up" - if she doesn't wake up quickly and enjoy the springtime, it will have gone by.[/nq]
If she doesn't wake up and grab it (the joyous time) by the forelock, it (love, happiness, the opportunity) will pass by.
[nq:1]"Amearst" would usually be spelt "amerced", meaning "fined, or punished in some way". "Penance dew" - same as "due". Cupid ("Love") will make any girl very sorry if she doesn't quickly find her "make" (= "mate"). Also, what are "amearst" and "penance dew"?[/nq]
I don't think you need help with these. If penance is due (earned and owing to her/them), Cupid will provide the punishment. But "dew" might be what is wished, and Cupid can drown (dampen) her/their future opportunities.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hi, What does "staid" mean in the following poem? Although I know it is a variant spelling of "stayed", I don't know what it means here.(etc.)[/nq]
I have responded to this in alt.usage.english.
If, for some reason, you consider the same message to belong in both alt.english.usage and in alt.usage.english, you would do well to consider cross-posting rather than posting to each newsgroup separately (multi-posting). The time to do what you have done is when you expect discussions of different kinds in the two newsgroups and consider corrective or developing posts in the two discussion to be relevant only if from people who follow the particular newsgroup for that discussion. That is sometimes a reasonable approach, but one which can rarely be justified for posts to AUE and AEU.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]If, for some reason, you consider the same message to belong in both alt.english.usage and in alt.usage.english, you would do ... discussion. That is sometimes a reasonable approach, but one which can rarely be justified for posts to AUE and AEU.[/nq]
If a poster ants to multi-post to get different threads that is their perogative.
Who needs net nazies like you trying to enfore your orthodoxy on everybody else.
Good for you that you answered it elsewhere, maybe since they posted it there too the OP will look there.
And oo you've answered it, "all hail Martin and be warned any others who might dare to reply"
****, the egomaniacs who inhabit these groups are the worst.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]If, for some reason, you consider the same message to ... can rarely be justified for posts to AUE and AEU.[/nq]
[nq:1]If a poster ants to multi-post to get different threads that is their perogative.[/nq]
That is true, as my text that you quoted makes clear to those who can read.
[nq:1]Who needs net nazies like you trying to enfore your orthodoxy on everybody else.[/nq]
Whatever childish meaning you think "net nazies" has, it is unlikely to apply to me. For anyone who can read, it is clear that I made no attempt to impose any "orthodoxy" on anyone.
[nq:1]Good for you that you answered it elsewhere, maybe since they posted it there too the OP will look there. And oo you've answered it, "all hail Martin and be warned any others who might dare to reply"[/nq]
It's unfortunate that you have not matured beyond the name-calling games of children. It's even more unfortunate that you have never learned to read.
[nq:1]****, the egomaniacs who inhabit these groups are the worst.[/nq]
Well said. Now that you took your little ego out for this airing, why not go back and figure out why your post is completely missing the mark.

Usenet · Answer

Go back and reread your own post.I qoute:
"
I have responded to this in alt.usage.english.
If, for some reason, you consider the same message to belong in both alt.english.usage and in alt.usage.english, you would do well to consider cross-posting rather than posting to each newsgroup separately (multi-posting). The time to do what you have done is when you expect discussions of different kinds in the two newsgroups and consider corrective or developing posts in the two discussion to be relevant only if from people who follow the particular newsgroup for that discussion. That is sometimes a reasonable approach, but one which can rarely be justified for posts to AUE and AEU."
Maybe you forgot what you wrote.

Usenet · Answer

Raymond O'Hara decided to prove once again that he can't read, by quoting my text that obviously does not say whatever he hallucinates it to have said, followed by:
[nq:1]Maybe you forgot what you wrote.[/nq]
Poor illiterate child. Try to find some remedial English classes in your area. They will help you.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Raymond O'Hara decided to prove once again that he can't read, by quoting my text that obviously does not say whatever he hallucinates it to have said, followed by:[/nq]
[nq:2]Maybe you forgot what you wrote.[/nq]
[nq:1]Poor illiterate child. Try to find some remedial English classes in your area. They will help you.[/nq]
Poor,arrogant fool.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]If, for some reason, you consider the same message to belong in both alt.english.usage and in alt.usage.english, you would do well to consider cross-posting That is sometimes a reasonable approach, but one which can rarely be justified for posts to AUE and AEU.[/nq]
Okay, this is probably one of those things that has been discussed hundreds of times, but is there a simple answer for the uninitiated as to what the difference is between alt.english.usage and alt.usage.english?
What things are considered to be appropriate to one but not the other?
Martin Clark

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Okay, this is probably one of those things that has been discussed hundreds of times, but is there a simple answer for the uninitiated as to what the difference is between alt.english.usage and alt.usage.english?[/nq]
Answer there is. Simple answer not so sure. There is no difference in ostensible subject matter, and the populations partially overlap. AUE is by far the busier, and very few people read AEU only. Indeed, days can go by with almost no traffic at all on AEU particularly if you deduct the spam. AUE is also more fractious and, by sheer force of numbers, ordinarily more knowledgeable in the aggregate.
There are various theories about how we wound up with the two groups. AUE is only a few months older than AEU, but AUE was created quite deliberately, and its name conforms to USENET syntax. Neither is true of AEU. Best guess but still only a guess is that someone wanting to post to AUE got the name mixed up and sent a post to "alt.english.usage." At least one server would create a new group whenever it received a post addressed to that group, so AEU sprang forth, and it's been springing ever since. There's no known way to get rid of it.
[nq:1]What things are considered to be appropriate to one but not the other?[/nq]
Nothing, really. It's not a good idea to mount a verbal assault on an old-timer while stlil a newbie, but that's true almost everywhere. Jump in and enjoy the water.

Bob Lieblich, AmEclectic
Who's been here waay too long

About this poem

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions