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
english-poet wisdom
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
beneath clear leads life noise pearl turbulence wisdom wise
A life all turbulence and noise may seem,To him that leads it, wise and to be praised;But wisdom is a pearl with most successSought in still water, and beneath clear skies.
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 proud wisdom
Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
finds fools idle wisdom wishes
In idle wishes fools supinely stay;Be there a will, -- and wisdom finds a way.
wisdom fall taken
Accomplishments have taken virtue's place, and wisdom falls before exterior grace.
wise wisdom nice
Some people are more nice than wise.
wisdom weed truth
They whom truth and wisdom lead, can gather honey from a weed.
wisdom mind relaxation
Absence of occupation is not rest; A mind quite vacant is a mind distressed.
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.