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
men thinking care
Dejection of spirits, which may have prevented many a man from becoming an author, made me one. I find constant employment necessary, and therefore take care to be constantly employed. . . . When I can find no other occupation, I think; and when I think, I am very apt to do it in rhyme.
thinking bears rich
The rich are too indolent, the poor too weak, to bear the insupportable fatigue of thinking.
cutting men thinking
I was a poet too; but modern taste Is so refined and delicate and chaste, That verse, whatever fire the fancy warms, Without a creamy smoothness has no charms. Thus, all success depending on an ear, And thinking I might purchase it too dear, If sentiment were sacrific'd to sound, And truth cut short to make a period round, I judg'd a man of sense could scarce do worse Than caper in the morris-dance of verse.
sweet retirement thinking
The statesman, lawyer, merchant, man of trade Pants for the refuge of some rural shade, Where all his long anxieties forgot Amid the charms of a sequester'd spot, Or recollected only to gild o'er And add a smile to what was sweet before, He may possess the joys he thinks he sees, Lay his old age upon the lap of ease, Improve the remnant of his wasted span. And having lived a trifler, die a man.
eye thinking liberty
To follow foolish precedents, and wink With both our eyes, is easier than to think.
thinking reality danger
We are never more in danger than when we think ourselves most secure, nor in reality more secure than when we seem to be most in danger.
finds fools idle wisdom wishes
In idle wishes fools supinely stay;Be there a will, -- and wisdom finds a way.
art infinitely thou
I know that Thou art infinitely gracious, but what will become of me?
heaven noticed scorned though
Not scorned in Heaven, though little noticed here.
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.
pleasure received
I never received a little pleasure from anything in my life; if I am pleased, it is in the extreme.
heard language last life lips oh passed roughly since thee
Oh that those lips had language! Life has passed With me but roughly since I heard thee last
changes god knows length shadow slow
Oh! let me then at length be taughtWhat I am still so slow to learn;That God is love, and changes not,Nor knows the shadow of a turn.