On The Wreck Of The Halsewell A FRAGMENT. Now the loud winds with angry pinions sweep The laboring bosom of the stormy deep, The face of day o’erspread by vapors scowls, And ‘mid the shrowds the increasing tempest howls, O’er the tall mast the giant surges rise, And a new Chaos min... »
Alfred. Book V. ARGUMENT. Episode of Ceolph and Emmeline—March of the Army.—Battle of Eddington. ‘Mid Selwood’s sylvan walks, with martial care, The king arrays his valiant troops for war.— As when autumnal vapours dimly rise, And load, with future storms, the misty skies, From the surro... »
The Fourth Olympic Ode Of Pindar STROPHE. Great Jove! supreme immortal King! Borne on the unwearied thunder’s wing; Again thy hours that roll along Responsive to the varied song, Awake my Lyre, and send me forth A witness of heroic worth. The Virtuous in a Friend’s success rejoice, And j... »
Epitaph On Charles D’aussey, Esquire IN HOLY-ROOD CHURCH, SOUTHAMPTON. When Pomp, when Wealth, when Greatness sink to dust, Though Vanity adorn the splendid bust, Sincerer drops of tributary woe O’er the lone urn of modest Merit flow. And tears as true as e’er embalm’d the dead Sha... »
The War-Elegies Of Tyrtæus, Imitated; Elegy Iv. On him shall fame, shall endless glory wait, Him future ages crown with just applause, Who boldly daring in the field of fate Falls a pure victim in his country’s cause. Ah! view yon hapless fugitives who leave Their seats paternal, and their nat... »
Sonnet I, Written At Cliefden Spring Majestic Thames, whose ample current flows, The wood reflecting in its silver tide, Which, hanging from the hills that grace thy side, O’er this clear fount its massy foliage throws; Here on thy brink my limbs again repose: Yet though thy waves Augusta̵... »
Elegy I O Happiness! thou wish of every mind, Whose form, more subtle than the fleeting air, Leaves all thy votaries wandering far behind, Eludes their search, and mocks their anxious care What distant region holds thy fair retreat, Where no keen look thy footsteps may surprise? In what lone desert ... »
The Progress Of Refinement. Part Ii. As when stern Winter’s desolating power, Arm’d with the piercing frost, and sleety shower, O’er shivering Nature spreads it’s iron reign, Bare stands the grove, and waste extends the plain; Yet in the scatter’d seed, and buried root ... »
Ode To Harmony I. Immortal Harmony! thy heavenly strain Coeval grew with sea, and earth, and skies.— What time from chaos’ rude primeval reign The Almighty Fiat bade creation rise, The angelic host around applauding stood, And loud their golden lyres proclaim’d that all was good.— Those ... »
Aerophorion When bold Ambition tempts the ingenuous mind To leave the beaten paths of life behind, Sublime on Glory’s pinions to arise, Urg’d by the love of manly enterprize; Swol’n Indolence and Fear, with envious view The radiant track incessant will pursue, The sneer of Malice t... »
The Last Elegy Of The Third Book Of Tibullus Propitious Bacchus come—so round thy brow Be with the mystic vine the ivy wove; Come, kindly come, and heal thy suppliant’s woe: Oft sinks beneath thy arm the power of love. Fill, fill, dear youth, the mantling goblet high, Pour the Falernian juice ... »
Epitaph On A Child Cruel the pang to hear the struggling sigh, Watch o’er the faded cheek and closing eye; See infant innocence with parting breath Its weeping parents bless, and smile in death.— Check your vain tears!—Lo! He who ‘walk’d the wave,’ Triumphant rising from the ... »
The War-Elegies Of Tyrtæus, Imitated; Elegy Iii. But ye are Britons—are the sons of those, Of that unconquer’d race, whose arms of yore, In many a conflict from superior foes The bloody wreaths of crimson conquest tore. Think on the trophies Creci, Poitiers, gave, Remember Agincourt’s il... »
Song; The Flowers Of The Spring That Enamel The Vale The flowers of the Spring that enamel the vale, Give their dyes to the meadows, their sweets to the gale, From the sun-beam, the shower, and the soft-falling dew Receive all their treasures of odour, and hue. When Winter extends his tyrannical rei... »
Dedication Sent With The Second Edition Of The Poem To His Majesty The King Of Prussia Imperial Bard! if while my humble strain Thy precepts sung to Albion’s warlike train, Her critic ear approving caught the sound, And favoring smiles my finish’d labor crown’d, Her plaudits to thy... »
The Progress Of Refinement. Part I. As when the stream by casual fountains fed First gushes from the cavern’s mossy bed, Dashing from rock to rock, the scanty rill With no luxuriant herbage clothes the hill; Yet when increas’d the ampler current flows, Each bordering mead with deeper ver... »
Ode To Beauty I. Enchanting power! whose influence blest O’er Nature reigns with pleasing sway, Whose mild command each gentler breast Enraptur’d glories to obey: O give my ravish’d sense to trace In every form thy polish’d grace, Whether thy footsteps deign to tread The leve... »
A Fragment Of Simonides Danaë, with her infant Son Perseus, was exposed in a Vessel to the fury of the waves, by order of her Father Acrisius. As on the well-fram’d Vessel’s side Impetuous pours the stormy tide, Aloud the furious whirlwinds sound, And foaming surges break around, Danaë, ... »
The Eighth Olympic Ode Of Pindar STROPHE I. Olympia! Mother of heroic Games! Queen of true Prophecy! beneath whose grove While the red victims pile the aspiring flames, The Augurs search the high behests of Jove: Thence try to know on whom he’ll deign to smile Of those, who, by the means of gl... »
Epigram. Omnia Vincit Amor. O Love, though Virgil’s lays ascribe Resistless power to thee, Yet still I thought the happy tribe Of Dulness, ever free; Potent I deem’d her ample shield Her favorite sons to save, Though to thy soft dominion yield The virtuous, wise, and brave: But since I s... »
The War-Elegies Of Tyrtæus, Imitated; Elegy Ii. How long in sloth’s inglorious fetters bound Slumber the brave?—The soft enchantment break. Britons to arms!—The taunting nations round Call forth th’ingenuous blush on manhood’s cheek. Calmly ye sit as in the lap of peace, Tho’... »
Song; Let No Shepherd Sing To Me Let no Shepherd sing to me The stupid praise of Constancy, Nature bids her subjects range, All creation’s full of change. See the varying hours display Morning, Evening, Night, and Day, See the circling seasons bring Summer, Winter, Autumn, Spring. Shall the ri... »
Carmen Seculare For The Year 1800 I. Incessant down the stream of Time And days, and years, and ages, roll, Speeding through Error’s iron clime To dark Oblivion’s goal; Lost in the gulf of night profound, No eye to mark their shadowy bound, Unless the deed of high renown, The warlike chi... »
The Parsonage Improved Where gentle Deva’s lucid waters glide In slow meanders thro’ the winding vale, And fertile Cestria’s pastures green divide; Deep in the bosom of a sheltering dale By uplands guarded from the wintry gale, In rustic site a lowly village stands, Not laid in for... »
Ode On The Divine Omnipresence A College Exercise I. O sacred Muse! thy aid impart, To rapture wake the sounding lyre! And kindle in my panting heart A spark of more than mortal fire: With votive hands the lay consign To awful Majesty Divine, On whom all life depends, Whose glorious form we wonderin... »
A Greek Scolion, Or Song By CALLISTRATUS, On HARMODIUS and ARISTOGEITON In myrtle wreaths my sword I bear, As, fir’d by zeal, the illustrious pair Conceal’d from view the avenging sword The haughty Tyrant’s breast that gor’d, And Athen’s equal rights restor’d. Bel... »
The Art Of War. Book Vi. Thus has Victoria taught me to impart The rigid precepts of her glorious Art. We’ve trac’d the rules of Battle from their source, The power of Discipline, and Order’s force, How the wise chief the Encampment may secure, And keep from fierce attacks his quar... »
Elegy Vii Now has bright Sol fulfilled his circling course, Again to Taurus rolled his burning car, Since, cruel Prudence, thy resistlefs force Tore me from happiness and CYNTHIA far, How did I, then, or pensively complain, Or in the maniac’s frantic accents rave! How often vow to prove resist... »
The War-Elegies Of Tyrtæus, Imitated; Elegy I. Not mine to sing the racer’s rapid flight, Or the athletic wrestler’s sinewy force, Not tho’ his limbs are strung with giant might, His active steps outstrip the whirlwind’s course; Her richest boons tho’ lavish fortune sho... »
Song; Fair Delia While Each Sighing Swain Fair Delia while each sighing swain Whose heart your charms adores, Fills with his tender vows the plain, And favoring smiles implores: My Wishes varying from the rest Demand a different boon, And only ask this one request, The mercy of a frown. Ah! far from... »
Beauty. Part Iii. Ye pleasing visions, and fantastic dreams, Of hallow’d mountains, of poetic streams, And shades for ever sacred to the song Of Græcian Phœbus, and the Thespian throng, O! melt into the winds, nor longer spread Your sweet delusions round my raptur’d head: But thou, celes... »
The Ninth Olympic Ode Of Pindar STROPHE I. The Lay Archilochus prepar’d, the meed Of every Victor on Olympia’s sand, Might have sufficed, thrice chanted, to proceed Brave Epharmostus and his social band; But from her bow let each Aonian maid The glittering shafts of harmony prepare, The ... »
Ode On The Birth Of The Prince Of Wales I. 1 . The fading beam of parting day Forsakes the western sky, Now shines Diana’s gentler ray With virgin majesty; Her face with milder glory bright Illumes the dusky shades of night, And brings the varied scene to view. The glassy lake, and bubbling st... »
Written On A Lady’s Fan In ancient times when like La Mancha’s Knight The adventurous Hero sallied forth to fight, Some sage Magician famous in Romance Supplied the Warrior with a wonderous lance, With which through adverse troops he forced his way, And won from giant hosts the doubtful day. B... »
The Fading Gleam Of Parting Day I. 1. The fading gleam of parting day Forsakes the western sky, Now shines Diana’s chaster ray With virgin majesty; Her face with milder glory bright Pales o’er the dusky shades of night, And brings the varied scene to view: The glassy lake, the bubbling s... »
Elegy Vi Now has bright Sol fulfill’d his circling course, Again to Taurus roll’d his burning car, Since, cruel Prudence, thy resistless force Tore me from happiness and Cynthia far. How did I then, or pensively complain, Or in the maniac’s frantic accents rave! How often vow to pr... »
The Vine Like clustering tents upon the embattled mead, See Vitis thick her small pavilions spread. Beneath each silken veil, with studious care Five amorous brothers woo one yielding fair; From the sweet raptures of the fond embrace, Soon springs a lovely and a generous race: In purple bright, or l... »
Shooting Ye sylvan muses! as my step invades The deep recesses of your hallow’d shades, Say will ye bid your echoing caves prolong The harsher cadence of your votary’s song? Not anxious now to strike the trembling wire, Sweetly responsive to your vernal choir; Or from the treasur’d... »
Beauty. Part I. A POETICAL ESSAY. The various powers by Nature’s hand combin’d To fill with harmony the raptur’d mind; Whose forms, as diff’rent lustre they impart, Or strike the senses, or exalt the heart, My daring Muse unfolds;—resolv’d to trace The glorious theme th... »
The Myrtle And The Bramble A FABLE. Luxuriant with perennial green A Myrtle young and lovely stood, Sole beauty of the wintry scene, The fairest daughter of the wood: Close by her side a Bramble grew, Like other Brambles rude with thorn, Who sicken’d at the pleasing view, Yet what she envied s... »
October And May ADDRESSED TO SAMUEL JAMES ARNOLD, Esq. : ‘Behold, with mild and matron mien, ‘With sober eye, and brow serene, ‘October sweep along; ‘Bright are her groves with vivid dyes, ‘Refulgent beam her cloudless skies, ‘And sweet her red-breast’s song... »
Written In The Year 1779, When The Combined When the keen axe remorseless laid The woods of Edgecombe low, Lest now their leafy skreen should aid The approaches of the foe; Astonish’d from their dark retreats The frantic Dryads rove, And Echo shrieks of woe repeats Through all the wasted grove... »
The Art Of War. Book Iv. When Vice triumphant rul’d the iron age, And Justice left her seat to savage rage, ‘Gainst the rude neighbour prompt at rapine’s call, The rising city rear’d the embattled wall, While shew’d the citadel it’s strengthen’d tower, To gu... »
Elegy V Thee, sad Melpomene, I once again Invoke, nor ask the idly plaintive verse: Quit the light reed for sorrow’s sober strain, And hang thy flowerets on my Delia’s herse. Oft by yon silver fountain’s sedgy side, Or through the twilight shade I us’d to rove, Have sung her ... »
The Triumph Of Fashion A Vision In that bless’d season, when descending snows, In robes of virgin white, the fields inclose; When Beaux, and Belles, their rural seats forego, For the gay seats of Almack’s and Soho: When to his consort’s wish the sportsman yields, And quits, for Gro... »
Sent To Mr. Haley, On Reading His Epistles On Epic Poetry What blooming garlands shall the Muses twine, What verdant laurels weave, what flowers combine, To crown their favorite Son whose generous heart Has check’d the arrogance of Critic Art, And shewn that still in their exhaustless mine The... »
Beauty. Part Ii Of all that Nature’s rural prospects yield, The chrystal fountain and the flow’ry field, Enough, my Muse!—the force of Beauty trace Now in each feature of the female face, For there she boasts superior powers, that move The melting soul to extasy and love. O! whisper to m... »
Naucratia; Or Naval Dominion. Part Iii. Awhile let War his bloody banners fold, And smiling Peace her gentler triumphs hold. The generous flame that warm’d Eliza’s days, Shines forth in George’s reign with brighter blaze. Again Britannia’s sons, through seas unknown, Round Ea... »
Written In A Seat At Stoke Park, Not with more joy from the loud tempest’s roar, The dangerous billow, and more dangerous shore, Escap’d,—the wave-worn sailor’s grateful hand Grasps the dear refuge of his native land; Than I from proud Augusta’s walls retreat, To the dear ref... »
The Art Of War. Book Iii. Your footsteps now the arsenals have trod Where lie the treasures of the warrior God; Yet ‘midst his ranks to serve is little fame, Little avails the soldier’s ardent flame, Unless to all the heights of art you climb, And reach of martial skill the true sublime.... »
Elegy Viii WRITTEN AT MINSTED IN THE NEW FOREST O rising Sun! on this auspicious day With brighter beams gild every hill and grove; Ye feather’d songsters, breathe a sweeter lay! And fill the echoing woods with joy and love. And, honor’d Minsted, in thy green retreats Let every tree a pr... »
The Thirteenth Olympic Ode Of Pindar STROPHE I. Whilst I rehearse the illustrious House’s Praise, Thrice Victor in Olympia’s sportive war, To friends and strangers open; let my lays The fame of happy Corinth bear afar: Which as a gate to Neptune’s Isthmus stands, Proud of her bloom... »
Sent To Dr. Hayes, With The Ode To Harmony As Man’s dull form inert and silent lay, A senseless heap of unenliven’d clay, Till bold Prometheus with ethereal flame Rous’d into life the animated frame, So shall my torpid verse a charm acquire From the bright touch of thy harmonious f... »
Amusement A POETICAL ESSAY. By gay Amusement’s soul-subduing power To chear the mournful or the vacant hour, In fancy’s freakful gambols to delight, Or wage with active limbs the mimic fight, In earlier times, to breasts mature unknown, Were cares of playful infancy alone; Nor did soft d... »
Lenore, A Tale LENÓRE wakes from dreams of dread At the rosy dawn of day, ‘Art thou false, or art thou dead? ‘William wherefore this delay?’ Join’d with Frederick’s host he sought On Praga’s bloody field, the foe, Since no tidings had been brought Of his weal, or of his woe. Tir... »
Verses Sent To The Corps Of Wantage When loud Invasion with infuriate roar, With boastful threatening shakes Britannia’s shore; Should Alfred turn his sainted eyes to earth, And view the hallow’d seats that gave him birth, How would he praise the patriot worth that calls Her manly sons f... »
The Art Of War. Book I. Illustrious Prince mark’d out by partial Fate To bear the burthen, and the pomp of state, To reign of spacious realms the future lord, To lift the balance, and to wield the sword, O hear a Soldier train’d to War’s alarms, Inur’d to danger, and grown ol... »
Elegy Ix AVON. WRITTEN DURING THE STRATFORD JUBILEE. From the clear stream that o’er her grotto flows The silver-slipper’d Avon slowly rose, And pensive on her crystal urn reclin’d, Pour’d forth in notes like these her anxious mind. ‘What frantic train is this whose noise inv... »
The Tenth Olympic Ode Of Pindar STROPHE I. O Muse, awake the Olympic Lay, Which to Archestratus’ brave Son we owe; The meed I promis’d to bestow, Oblivion’s icy hand had wip’d away: And thou, O Truth, the favorite Maid Of thundering Jove, vouchsafe thy aid To quell their slan... »
Prologue, Intended For The cause with learn’d investigation fraught, Behold at length to this tribunal brought, No fraud your penetrating eyes can cheat, None here can Shakespeare’s writing counterfeit. As well the taper’s base unlustrous ray Might strive to emulate the orb of day,... »