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
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.
grown shrewd trust wise
Patriots are grown too shrewd to be sincere, And we too wise to trust them
wise rain rivers
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 success Sought in still waters.
wise kings war
War's a game, which, were their subjects wise, Kings would not play at.
wise baby kings
But war's a game, which, were their subjects wise, Kings should not play at. Nations would do well To extort their truncheons from the puny hands Of heroes, whose infirm and baby minds Are gratified with mischief, and who spoil, Because men suffer it, their toy the world.
wise wisdom nice
Some people are more nice than wise.
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.