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Aug 4, 2026 1 min

King Witlaf’s Drinking-Horn

from Ririro.com - Poetry Hosted by Ririro

"King Witlaf's Drinking-Horn" is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in which a Saxon king bequeaths his golden drinking-horn to the monks of Croyland, asking only that they pray for his soul as they feast. One Christmas night the monks drink deeply — toasting Witlaf, Christ, the Apostles, and an ever-growing roll of saints — until their Abbot dies mid-revel, goblet in hand. With black humour, the poem turns on what the surviving monks do next. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ririro-com-poetry--6577576/support.

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King Witlaf’s Drinking-Horn

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