KEMPTHORN.
Come, drink about! Remember Parson Melham,
And bless the man who first invented flip!
They drink.
The Annotated Edition
KEMPTHORN. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →
This is a brief two-line toast delivered by Kempthorn, who lifts his glass to Parson Melham and to the originator of "flip" — a cozy, spiced alcoholic beverage favored in colonial taverns.
- Themes
- friendship, home, memory
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This is a brief two-line toast delivered by Kempthorn, who lifts his glass to Parson Melham and to the originator of "flip" — a cozy, spiced alcoholic beverage favored in colonial taverns. It captures a joyful, communal celebration that revels in the simple joys of companionship and a fine drink. Picture it as a lively scene at a bustling tavern table, captured perfectly in verse.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
Come, drink about! Remember Parson Melham, / And bless the man who first invented flip!
Editor's note
Kempthorn calls for a round of drinks, saying "drink about," which means everyone passes the cup around. He raises a toast to Parson Melham, a clergyman from Longfellow's *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, and then offers a mock-serious blessing for the unknown genius who came up with flip, a warm tavern drink made from beer, rum, and sugar. The stage direction "They drink" indicates that this is a piece of dramatic verse intended for performance or reading aloud, rather than a lyrical reflection. The humor lies in treating a barroom creation with the same respect usually reserved for a saint.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
Boisterous and warm. Kempthorn is feeling great and wants everyone else to share in that joy. There's a playful hint of seriousness — "bless the man" takes on a prayer-like tone for something delightfully irreverent — but the overall vibe is just straightforward, uncomplicated good cheer.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- Flip
- The drink represents the camaraderie of taverns and the basic joys that unite strangers. It's intentionally unpretentious — no fancy wine or spirits — which adds a humorous and inclusive touch to the toast.
- Drinking around the table
- "Drink about" represents a communal, circular act. The cup passing from person to person creates a simple ritual of togetherness and equality: everyone has a chance, and no one is excluded.
- Parson Melham
- A clergyman honored in a drinking toast is a light-hearted jest. The sacred and the profane coexist easily, indicating that in a good tavern, everyone—from all walks of life—is welcome.
§06Historical context
Historical context
"Kempthorn" is a character piece from Longfellow's *Tales of a Wayside Inn* (released in three parts: 1863, 1872, 1873), a collection that uses a frame narrative inspired by Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales*. The Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, was an actual colonial tavern, and Longfellow filled it with a variety of storytellers. Kempthorn is the sea captain of the group, and his voice here is just as you’d expect: hearty, friendly, and enjoying a drink. "Flip" was a popular colonial American tavern drink—beer or ale heated with a hot iron, sweetened with molasses or sugar, and mixed with rum. Longfellow's verse toasting it captures the essence of 18th-century New England tavern life, where clergy, sailors, and farmers all gathered together.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
Flip was a popular drink in colonial America, created by plunging a hot fire-poker, known as a "loggerhead," into a mug filled with ale, rum, and sugar to heat and froth it. Kempthorn toasting its inventor is amusing because he treats a simple barroom recipe with the same seriousness as a religious blessing — and that instantly reveals the kind of man he is.
Parson Melham is a clergyman character featured in Longfellow's *Tales of a Wayside Inn*. When a sea-captain toasts him during a drinking round, it’s a lighthearted jab at his expense—or perhaps it just shows that he’s well-liked enough to be remembered warmly over a cup of flip.
It works perfectly as a dramatic piece. Longfellow crafted it as a character moment — there's even a stage direction ("They drink") included — making it feel more like a scene from a play than just a standalone lyric. Its short length is intentional: it captures a single loud, joyful moment at the tavern table.
*Tales of a Wayside Inn* is Longfellow's collection of poems that uses a frame narrative, similar to Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales*. In this work, a group of travelers at a Massachusetts inn share stories with one another. Kempthorn, the sea captain among them, provides a snapshot of his character through this toast, which sits between the more extensive tales.
It refers to sharing the drink around the table, ensuring everyone has a turn. It's an invitation to toast together—nobody is left out. This phrase was often heard in the speech of colonial taverns.
Longfellow crafted a colorful array of characters in *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, and a quick two-line toast reveals all you need to know about Kempthorn: he's sociable, irreverent, and enjoys a drink. These brief character sketches add depth and vibrancy to the longer collection.
At its heart, this is about friendship and the happiness that comes from being together. There's also a sense of memory—raising a glass to Parson Melham keeps him with us, even if he's not physically there. Plus, the entire setting is steeped in a distinct home culture: the colonial tavern traditions of New England.
Read next