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.
alone carry choose lesson marry misses proper relate seems tale time
Misses the tale that I relate - This lesson seems to carry - Choose not alone a proper mate, But proper time to marry
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.
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.
time guests fit
Visits are insatiable devourers of time, and fit only for those who, if they did not that, would do nothing.
time wings sound
Time, as he passes us, has a dove's wing, Unsoil'd, and swift, and of a silken sound.
ask birds jacques jean shall
I shall not ask Jean Jacques Rousseau - If birds confabulate or no
came haste soon
And up he got, in haste to ride, / But soon came down again.
breed errors faults life
Faults in the life breed errors in the brain,And these, reciprocally, those again.
blood perish rome shall word
Rome shall perish - write that word / In the blood that she has spilt.
says wife
Says John, It is my wedding-day, / And all the world would stare, / If wife should dine at Edmonton, / And I should dine at Ware.
charity press vehicle
Did Charity prevail, the press would proveA vehicle of virtue, truth, and love.
animated brush discourse mean modesty point press
Discourse may want an animated "No"To brush the surface, and to make it flow;But still remember, if you mean to please,To press your point with modesty and ease.