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
chase hunt start syllable time
Philologists who chase / A panting syllable through time and space, / Start it at home, and hunt it in the dark, / To Gaul, to Greece, and into Noah's ark.
taught
With outstretched hoe I slew him at the door, / And taught him NEVER TO COME THERE NO MORE.
above repose
Without one friend, above all foes, Britannia give the world repose
bird supposed
There is a bird who by his coat,And by the hoarseness of his note,Might be supposed a crow.
aching hours left memory peaceful sweet void
What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! / How sweet their memory still! / But they have left an aching void / The world can never fill.
drop half pause puff sentence solemn time
The pipe, with solemn interposing puff,Makes half a sentence at a time enough;The dozing sages drop the drowsy strain,Then pause, and puff -- and speak, and pause again.
english-poet gives spice
Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.
fit insatiable visitors
Visitors are insatiable devourers of time, and fit only for those who, if they did not visit, would do nothing
clubs diamond spots typical
With spots quadrangular of diamond form,/ Ensanguined hearts, clubs typical of strife, / And spades, the emblem of untimely graves.
false fanaticism fire
Fanaticism soberly defined, is the false fire of an over heated mind.
alone breath distant heaven reach toil
But oars alone can ne'er prevailTo reach the distant coast;The breath of heaven must swell the sail,Or all the toil is lost.
delights misery trace
But misery still delights to trace / Its semblance in another's case.
days pleasure thus
Thus always teasing others, and days teas'd, His only pleasure is to be displeas'd
crown fire intimate king thee
I crown thee king of intimate delights,Fire-side enjoyments, home-born happiness.