Poems, Volume 1 |
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Page 6
... But that they catch at popular applause , Careless of all th ' anxiety he feels ,
Hook disappointment on the public wheels ; With all their flippant fluency of
tongue , Most confident , when palpably most wrong ; If this be kingly , then
farewell for ...
... But that they catch at popular applause , Careless of all th ' anxiety he feels ,
Hook disappointment on the public wheels ; With all their flippant fluency of
tongue , Most confident , when palpably most wrong ; If this be kingly , then
farewell for ...
Page 40
The sacred implement I now employ Might prove a mischief , or at best a toy ; A
trifle , if it move but to amuse ; But , if to wrong the judgment and abuse , Worse
than a poniard in the basest band , It stabs at once the morals of a land . Ye
writers ...
The sacred implement I now employ Might prove a mischief , or at best a toy ; A
trifle , if it move but to amuse ; But , if to wrong the judgment and abuse , Worse
than a poniard in the basest band , It stabs at once the morals of a land . Ye
writers ...
Page 47
Whoever errs , the priest can ne ' er be wrong , With such fine words familiar to
his tongue . Ye ladies ! ( for indiff ' rent in your cause , I should deserve to forfeit
all applause ) Whatever shocks or gives the least offence To virtue , delicacy ,
truth ...
Whoever errs , the priest can ne ' er be wrong , With such fine words familiar to
his tongue . Ye ladies ! ( for indiff ' rent in your cause , I should deserve to forfeit
all applause ) Whatever shocks or gives the least offence To virtue , delicacy ,
truth ...
Page 49
Thus men go wrong with an ingenious skill ; Bend the straight rule to their own
crooked will ; ' And with a clear and shining lamp supplied , First put it out , then
take it for a guide . Halting on crutches of unequal size , One leg by truth
supported ...
Thus men go wrong with an ingenious skill ; Bend the straight rule to their own
crooked will ; ' And with a clear and shining lamp supplied , First put it out , then
take it for a guide . Halting on crutches of unequal size , One leg by truth
supported ...
Page 53
Grace leads the right way : if you choose the wrong , Take it and perish ; but
restrain your tongue ; Charge not , with light sufficient , and left free , Your wilful
suicide on God ' s decree . O how unlike the complex works of man , Heav ' n ' s
easy ...
Grace leads the right way : if you choose the wrong , Take it and perish ; but
restrain your tongue ; Charge not , with light sufficient , and left free , Your wilful
suicide on God ' s decree . O how unlike the complex works of man , Heav ' n ' s
easy ...
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Common terms and phrases
appears beneath bids busy cause charms close course dark delight divine dream Earth ev'ry eyes face fair fall fancy fear feel fire give glory grace ground half hand happy head hear heart Heav'n hope hour human it's joys kind land laws lead less light live look lost mankind mean meet mind muse Nature never night once pain peace perhaps plain play pleasure poor pow'r praise pride prove race rest rich sacred scene scorn seek seems seen sense shine side sight skies smile song soon soul sound speak stand stream sure sweet taste teach tell thee theme thine things thou thought thousand tongue true truth turn virtue waste wisdom wrong
Popular passages
Page 319 - He grasped the mane with both his hands, And eke with all his might. His horse, who never in that sort Had handled been before, What thing upon his back had got Did wonder more and more. Away went Gilpin, neck or nought; Away went hat and wig; He little dreamt, when he set out, Of running such a rig.
Page 320 - And still, as fast as he drew near, 'twas wonderful to view How in a trice the turnpike men their gates wide open threw.
Page 323 - My head is twice as big as yours, They therefore needs must fit. " But let me scrape the dirt away That hangs upon your face ; And stop and eat, for well you may Be in a hungry case." Said John, — " It is my wedding-day,. And all the world would stare, If wife should dine at Edmonton And I should dine at Ware.
Page 316 - I do admire Of womankind but one, And you are she, my dearest dear, Therefore it shall be done. ' I am a linen-draper bold, As all the world doth know, And my good friend, the Calender, Will lend his horse to go.
Page 323 - And all the world would stare, If wife should dine at Edmonton And I should dine at Ware. So turning to his horse, he said, I am in haste to dine, 'Twas for your pleasure you came here, You shall go back for mine.
Page 228 - How fleet is a glance of the mind ! Compared with the speed of its flight, The tempest itself lags behind, And the swift-winged arrows of light. When I think of my own native land, In a moment I seem to be there ; But alas ! recollection at hand Soon hurries me back to despair.
Page 227 - Ye winds ! that have made me your sport, Convey to this desolate shore Some cordial endearing report Of a land I shall visit no more. My friends, do they now and then send A wish or a thought after me ? Oh, tell me I yet have a friend, Though a friend I am never to see.
Page 162 - The pipe, with solemn interposing puff, Makes half a sentence at a time enough ; The dozing sages drop the drowsy strain, Then pause, and puff— and speak, and pause again. Such often, like the tube they so admire, Important triflers ! have more smoke than fire. Pernicious weed ! whose scent the fair annoys, Unfriendly to society's chief joys, Thy worst effect is banishing for hours The sex, whose presence civilizes ours...
Page 290 - He that holds fast the golden mean And lives contentedly between The little and the great Feels not the wants that pinch the poor Nor plagues that haunt the rich man's door, Imbittering all his state.
Page 322 - So like an arrow swift he flew, Shot by an archer strong; So did he fly — which brings me to The middle of my song. Away went Gilpin out of breath, And sore against his will, Till at his friend the calender's His horse at last stood still.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Poems, Volume 1 Poems, William Cowper Volumes 43-44 of Works of the British poets |
| Author | William Cowper |
| Publisher | Stereotyped and printed by Andrew Wilson for J. Johnson, 1808 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 16 Feb 2008 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |