Abraham Cowley
Abraham Cowley
Abraham Cowleywas an English poet born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his Works published between 1668 and 1721...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
art garden eagles
"We may talk what we please," he cries in his enthusiasm for the oldest of the arts, "of lilies, and lions rampant, and spread eagles, in fields d'or or d'argent; but, if heraldry were guided by reason, a plough in a field arable would be the most noble and ancient arms."
art lying men
Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit, Or what is worse, be left by it? Why dost thou load thyself when thou 'rt to fly, Oh, man! ordain'd to die? Why dost thou build up stately rooms on high, Thou who art under ground to lie? Thou sow'st and plantest, but no fruit must see, For death, alas! is reaping thee.
wise art men
Curs'd be that wretch (Death's factor sure) who brought Dire swords into the peaceful world, and taught Smiths (who before could only make The spade, the plough-share, and the rake) Arts, in most cruel wise Man's left to epitomize!
age age-and-aging forever shall
What shall I do to be forever known,/ And make the age to come my own?
constant drink drinking earth fair fresh plants suck thirsty
The thirsty earth soaks up the rain, And drinks, and gapes for drink again; The plants suck in the earth, and are With constant drinking fresh and fair
contempt english-poet grant lie low means
This only grant me, that my means may lie too low for envy, for contempt too high.
creature drink man
For why / Should every creature drink but I, / Why, man of morals, tell me why?
both eyes kisses lips love outward parts pleasant sunny thousand walks
Love in her sunny eyes does basking play;/ Love walks the pleasant mazes of her hair;/ Love does on both her lips for ever stray;/ And sows and reaps a thousand kisses there./ In all her outward parts Love's always seen;/ But, oh, he never went within.
english-poet past
Nothing is to come, and nothing past: But an eternal now, does always last.
english-poet nature scene
The world's a scene of changes, and to be constant, in nature were inconstancy.
busy shall
Well then; I now do plainly see, / This busy world and I shall ne'er agree.
hopeless
Hope is the most hopeless thing of all.
lovers silent mute
Why to mute fish should'st thou thyself discoverAnd not to me, thy no less silent lover?
sea land israel
When Israel was from bondage led,Led by the Almighty's handFrom out of foreign land,The great sea beheld and fled.