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
grown shrewd trust wise
Patriots are grown too shrewd to be sincere, And we too wise to trust them
enter fine foot list manners polished sets wanting
I would not enter on my list of friends / (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, / Yet wanting sensibility) the man / Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.
crush enter evening foot list public sets snail step tread
I would not enter in my list of friends, Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm. An inadvertent step may crush the snail That crawls at evening in the public path, But he has the humanity, forewarned, Will tread aside, and let the reptile live.
art infinitely thou
I know that Thou art infinitely gracious, but what will become of me?
boys candid care corrected error generous learns soon trust whom
Candid and generous and just. Boys care but little whom they trust. An error soon corrected -- for who but learns in riper years. That man, when smoothest he appears, is most to be suspected?
care cease child forgetful remember tender towards
Can a woman's tender care / Cease towards the child she bare? / Yes, she may forgetful be,/ Yet will I remember thee.
pleasure received
I never received a little pleasure from anything in my life; if I am pleased, it is in the extreme.
friend grant passing praise remark shrewd solitude sweet whisper whom
I praise the Frenchman, his remark was shrewd - How sweet, how passing sweet is solitude! But grant me still a friend in my retreat, Whom I may whisper Solitude is sweet
behind hides providence smiling
Behind a frowning providence / He hides a smiling face.
himself narrow silly wanderer wonder
Himself a wanderer from the narrow way, / His silly sheep, what wonder if they stray?
army-and-navy concern customs great motley says sees
He sees that this great roundaboutThe world, with all its motley rout,Church, army, physic, law,Its customs and its businesses,Is no concern at all of his,And says -- what says he? -- Caw.
concern customs great motley says sees
He sees that this great roundabout The world, with all its motley rout, Church, army, physic, law, Its customs and its businesses, Is no concern at all of his, And says -- what says he? -- Caw.
charge meanings mind
Charge / His mind with meanings that he never had.
fast golden haunt holds lives pinch rich wants
He that holds fast the golden mean,And lives contently betweenThe little and the great,Feels not the wants that pinch the poor,Nor plagues that haunt the rich man's door.