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
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.
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.
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.
herd left stricken
I was a stricken deer, that left the herd / Long since.
finger great
While fancy, like the finger of a clock,Runs the great circuit, and is still at home.
hidden oil wasted
Our wasted oil unprofitably burns,Like hidden lamps in old sepulchral urns.
bosom egg fatal laid nest pleasure
Remorse, the fatal egg by Pleasure laid / In every bosom where her nest is made.
genius manner substitute whatever wit
Manner is all in all whatever is writ, the substitute for genius sense and wit