Robin Hood

An English folk tale which may be based on a true story.
Robin Hood, an outlaw of the medieval times who, is famous for robbing the rich to provide for the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny, is usually associated with Sherwood Forest and Nottinghamshire. His band consisted of a group of fellow outlawed yeomen called the "Merry Men".
Robin Hood's nemesis was the Sheriff of Nottingham, the despotic sheriff who gravely abused his position, appropriating land, levying excessive taxation, and unfairly persecuting the poor.


Robin Hood
by John Keats

No! those days are gone away,
And their hours are old and gray,
And their minutes buried all
Under the down-trodden pall
Ofthe leaves of many years:
Many times have winter's shears,
Frozen North, and chilling East,
Sounded tempests to the feast
Of the forest's whispering fleeces,
Since men knew nor rent nor leases.

So it is; yet let us sing
Honour to the old bow-string!
Honour to the bugle-horn!
Honour to the woods unshorn!
Honour to the Lincoln green!
Honour to the archer keen!
Honour to tight little John,
And the horse he rode upon!
Honour to bold Robin Hood,
Sleeping in the underwood!
Honour to maid Marian,
And to all the Sherwood clan!
Though their days have hurried by
Let us two a burden try.