Thomas Hood
Thomas Hood
Thomas Hoodwas an English poet, author and humourist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for The London Magazine, the Athenaeum, and Punch. He later published a magazine largely consisting of his own works. Hood, never robust, lapsed into invalidism by the age of 41 and died at the age of 45. William Michael Rossetti in 1903 called him "the finest English poet" between the generations of Shelley...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth23 May 1799
earth fill harsh hopes join jury met obtained prejudiced recently regrets trial twelve whom
And ye, who have met with Adversity's blast,And been bow'd to the earth by its fury;To whom the Twelve Months, that have recently pass'dWere as harsh as a prejudiced jury -Still, fill to the Future! and join in our chime,The regrets of remembrance to cozen,And having obtained a New Trial of Time,Shout in hopes of a kindlier dozen.
battle ben laid soldier took
Ben Battle was a soldier bold, / And used to war's alarms: / But a cannon-ball took off his legs, / So he laid down his arms.
insipid sandwiches
Being used but sisterly salutes to feel, Insipid things - like sandwiches of veal
fingers heavy needle sat thread weary woman
With fingers weary and worn, / With eyelids heavy and red, / A woman sat in unwomanly rags, / Plying her needle and thread - / Stitch! stitch! stitch!
gone lift weary
One more Unfortunate, / Weary of breath, / Rashly importunate, / Gone to her death. Take her up tenderly, / Lift her with care; / Fashioned so slenderly, / Young, and so fair!
france repent unless
Never go to France - Unless you know the lingo, If you do like me, You will repent by jingo
behind burn great leave letters men oft ought pages remind
Lives" of great men oft remind us as we o'er their pages turn, That we too may leave behind us - Letters that we ought to burn
garden grow organic tomatoes
I can't do as much as I used to, but I can still grow a little corn, tomatoes and some cucumbers in my organic garden out back.
country except mind polite signifies
I don't set up for being a cosmopolite, which to any mind signifies being polite to every country except your own
critic gives modern thoughts
What is a modern poet's fate?/ To write his thoughts upon a slate;/ The critic spits on what is done,/ Gives it a wipe" - and all is gone.
bright gold hard
Gold! Gold! Gold! Bright and yellow, hard and cold.
happiness
There is even a happiness - that makes the heart afraid.
dying fears hopes sleeping
Our very hopes belied our fears, / Our fears our hopes belied - / We thought her dying when she slept, / And sleeping when she died!
came dear fell glad humorous
I never nursed a dear gazelle, / To glad me with its dappled hide, / But when it came to know me well / It fell upon the buttered side.