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
attentive dwells heads knowledge minds thoughts wisdom
Knowledge dwells in heads replete with thoughts of other men; wisdom in minds attentive to their own.
english-poet humble knowledge knows learned proud
Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much;Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
english-poet humble knowledge knows proud wisdom
Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
humble knowledge rude
Knowledge, a rude unprofitable mass, the mere materials with which wisdom builds, till smoothed and squared and fitted to its place, does but encumber whom it seems to enrich. Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
knowledge men mind
Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one, Have oft-times no connection. Knowledge dwells In heads replete with thoughts of other men; Wisdom in minds attentive to their own.
celestial fire pregnant
. . . words, pregnant with celestial fire.
cool farewell sound whispering
The poplars are felled, farewell to the shade,/ And the whispering sound of the cool colonnade!
pleasure poetic poets
There is a pleasure in poetic painsWhich only poets know.
hidden oil wasted
Our wasted oil unprofitably burns,Like hidden lamps in old sepulchral urns.
bosom egg fatal laid nest pleasure
Remorse, the fatal egg by Pleasure laid / In every bosom where her nest is made.
caesar knew posterity regions shall thy
Regions Caesar never knew / Thy posterity shall sway.
bred gratify hope indulgent law profession rather success
I was bred to the law, a profession to which I was never much inclined, and in which I engaged, rather because I was desirous to gratify a most indulgent father, than because I had any hope of success in it myself.
genius manner substitute whatever wit
Manner is all in all whatever is writ, the substitute for genius sense and wit
grown shrewd trust wise
Patriots are grown too shrewd to be sincere, And we too wise to trust them