Poems on Several Occasions

Front Cover
author, 1752 - English poetry - 230 pages

From inside the book

Popular passages

Page 184 - With store of ladies, whose bright eyes Rain influence, and judge the prize Of wit or arms, while both contend To win her grace, whom all commend.
Page 48 - She gives in large recruits of needful pride ; For, as in bodies, thus in souls we find, What wants in blood and spirits, swell'd with wind : Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defence, And fills up all the mighty void of sense.
Page 176 - Come, and trip it as you go, On the light fantastic toe ; And in thy right hand lead with thee The mountain nymph, sweet Liberty; And if I give thee honour due, Mirth, admit me of thy crew, To live with her and live with thee, In unreproved pleasures free...
Page 56 - Some to Conceit alone their taste confine, And glitt'ring thoughts struck out at ev'ry line; Pleas'd with a work where nothing's just or fit; One glaring Chaos and wild heap of wit. Poets, like painters, thus, unskill'd to trace The naked nature and the living grace, With gold and jewels cover ev'ry part, And hide with ornaments their want of art.
Page 36 - Nature to all things fix'd the limits fit, And wisely curb'd proud man's pretending wit. As on the land while here the ocean gains, In other parts it leaves wide sandy plains...
Page 176 - Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee Jest, and youthful Jollity, Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles, Nods and becks, and wreathed smiles, Such as hang on Hebe's cheek, And love to live in dimple sleek ; Sport that wrinkled Care derides, And Laughter holding both his sides.
Page 32 - Tis with our judgments as our watches, none Go just alike, yet each believes his own. In poets as true genius...
Page 44 - Music resembles poetry; in each Are nameless graces which no methods teach, And which a master-hand alone can reach. If, where the rules not far enough extend, (Since rules were made but to promote their end) Some lucky licence answer to the full Th' intent propos'd, that licence is a rule.
Page 42 - Be Homer's works your study and delight, Read them by day, and meditate by night ; Thence form your judgment, thence your maxims bring, And trace the muses upward to their spring. Still with itself compared, his text peruse ; And let your comment be the Mantuan muse. " When first young Maro in his boundless mind A work t...
Page 50 - Fired at first sight with what the Muse imparts, In fearless youth we tempt the heights of arts, While from the bounded level of our mind Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind ; But, more...

Bibliographic information