William Cowper
William Cowper
William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called him "the best modern poet", whilst William Wordsworth particularly admired his poem Yardley-Oak. He was a nephew of the poet Judith Madan...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth26 November 1731
boys candid care corrected error generous learns soon trust whom
Candid and generous and just. Boys care but little whom they trust. An error soon corrected -- for who but learns in riper years. That man, when smoothest he appears, is most to be suspected?
care cease child forgetful remember tender towards
Can a woman's tender care / Cease towards the child she bare? / Yes, she may forgetful be,/ Yet will I remember thee.
affection black skins white
Skins may differ, but affectionDwells in white and black the same.
bestowed divinely soon taste wings
Society, friendship, and love, / Divinely bestowed upon man, / Oh, had I the wings of a dove, / How soon would I taste you again!
anticipate blood brighter claim divinely earn ensure equal feed few immortal liberty loved martyrs noblest remember spent struggle sweets time walk win
A patriot's blood,Well spent in such a strife, may earn indeed,And for a time ensure to his loved land,The sweets of liberty and equal laws;But martyrs struggle for a brighter prize,And win it with more pain. Their blood is shedIn confirmation of the noblest claim --Our claim to feed upon immortal truth,To walk with God, to be divinely free,To soar, and to anticipate the skies.Yet few remember them.
anticipate blood brighter claim divinely earn ensure equal feed few immortal liberty loved martyrs noblest remember shed spent struggle sweets time truth walk win
A patriot's blood, Well spent in such a strife, may earn indeed, And for a time ensure to his loved land, The sweets of liberty and equal laws; But martyrs struggle for a brighter prize, And win it with more pain. Their blood is shed In confirmation of the noblest claim -- Our claim to feed upon immortal truth, To walk with God, to be divinely free, To soar, and to anticipate the skies. Yet few remember them.
friend grant passing praise remark shrewd solitude sweet whisper whom
I praise the Frenchman, his remark was shrewd - How sweet, how passing sweet is solitude! But grant me still a friend in my retreat, Whom I may whisper Solitude is sweet
pleasure received
I never received a little pleasure from anything in my life; if I am pleased, it is in the extreme.
adopt smiles sparing style teacher
Once more I would adopt the graver style - a teacher should be sparing of his smile.
adopt sparing style teacher teaching
Once more I would adopt the graver style -- a teacher should be sparing of his smile.
behind hides providence smiling
Behind a frowning providence / He hides a smiling face.
himself narrow silly wanderer wonder
Himself a wanderer from the narrow way, / His silly sheep, what wonder if they stray?
army-and-navy concern customs great motley says sees
He sees that this great roundaboutThe world, with all its motley rout,Church, army, physic, law,Its customs and its businesses,Is no concern at all of his,And says -- what says he? -- Caw.
concern customs great motley says sees
He sees that this great roundabout The world, with all its motley rout, Church, army, physic, law, Its customs and its businesses, Is no concern at all of his, And says -- what says he? -- Caw.