William Cowper Quotes - Page 9

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Learning itself, received into a mind
By nature weak, or viciously inclined,
Serves but to lead philosophers astray,
Where children would with ease discern the way.

William Cowper

Children, Learning, Mind

William Cowper (1851). “The Works of William Cowper: His Life, Letters, and Poems. Now First Completed by the Introduction of Cowper's Private Correspondence”, p.510

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Fancy, like the finger of a clock,
Runs the great circuit, and is still at home.

William Cowper

Running, Home, Fancy

William Cowper, Henry Stebbing (1869). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper, Esq: Including the Hymns and Translations from Madame Guion, Milton, Etc. ; with a Memoir of the Author”, p.234

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Not a flower
But shows some touch, in freckle, streak or stain,
Of his unrivall'd pencil. He inspires
Their balmy odors, and imparts their hues,
And bathes their eyes with nectar, and includes
In grains as countless as the seaside sands,
The forms with which he sprinkles all the earth
Happy who walks with him!

William Cowper

Flower, Eye, Inspire

William Cowper (1856). “The task, Table talk, and other poems: With critical observations of various authors on his genius and character, and notes, critical and illustrative”, p.305

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If a great man struggling with misfortunes is a noble object, a little man that despises them is no contemptible one.

William Cowper

Struggle, Men, Noble

William Cowper, Robert Southey (1836). “Life and works of Cowper, by R. Southey”, p.42

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Defend me, therefore, common sense, say
From reveries so airy, from the toil
Of dropping buckets into empty wells,
And growing old in drawing nothing up.

William Cowper

Drawing, Common Sense, Toil

'The Task' (1785) bk. 3 'The Garden' l. 187

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Blest be the art that can immortalize.

William Cowper

Art, Immortality

William Cowper, Robert Southey (1854). “The Works of William Cowper: The task. Tirocinium. Miscellaneous poems. Adam: a sacred drama, tr. from the Italian of Gio. Battista Andreini”, p.283

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The few that pray at all pray oft amiss.

William Cowper

Prayer, Praying

William Cowper, James Thomson (1832). “The Works of Cowper and Thompson: Including Many Letters and Poems Never Before Published in this Country. With a New and Interesting Memoir of the Life of Thomson”, p.94

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When I thinkof my own native land, In a moment I seem to be there; But alas! recollection at hand Soon hurries me back to despair.

William Cowper

Hands, Land, Despair

1782 Poems,'Verses Supposed to be Written by Alexander Selkirk, During His Solitary Abode in the Island of Juan Fernandez'.

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A lawyer's dealings should be just and fair;
Honesty shines with great advantage there.

William Cowper

Honesty, Shining, Lawyer

William Cowper (1853). “The Poetical Works of William Cowper: With Life ; Six Engravings on Steel”, p.61

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All truth is precious, if not all divine; and what dilates the powers must needs refine.

William Cowper

Truth, Needs, Divine

William Cowper (1855). “The complete poetical works of William Cowper, with life and critical notice of his writings”, p.75

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Those flimsy webs that break as soon as wrought, attain not to the dignity of thought.

William Cowper

Dignity, Break

William Cowper, John William Cunningham (1835). “The works ¬of William Cowper: Poems : with an essay on the genius and poetry of Cowper”, p.210

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Ten thousand casks, Forever dribbling out their base contents, Touch'd by the Midas finger of the state, Bleed gold for ministers to sport away. Drink, and be mad then; 'tis your country bids!

William Cowper

Sports, Country, Mad

William Cowper, James Sambrook (2016). “William Cowper: The Task and Selected Other Poems”, p.156, Routledge

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Where thou art gone, adieus and farewells are a sound unknown.

William Cowper

Art, Farewell, Sound

William Cowper, Robert Southey (1849). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper ...: Including the Copyright Poems, with a Life of the Author”, p.484

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How! leap into the pit our life to save?
To save our life leap all into the grave.

William Cowper

Suicide, Pits, Graves

William Cowper (1820). “Poems: In two volumes. Embellished with engravings, and a sketch of his life”, p.339

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When scandal has new-minted an old lie,
Or tax'd invention for a fresh supply,
'Tis call'd a satire, and the world appears
Gathering around it with erected ears;
A thousand names are toss'd into the crowd,
Some whisper'd softly, and some twang'd aloud,
Just as the sapience of an author's brain,
Suggests it safe or dangerous to be plain.

William Cowper

Lying, Names, Brain

William Cowper, Henry Stebbing (1869). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper, Esq: Including the Hymns and Translations from Madame Guion, Milton, Etc. ; with a Memoir of the Author”, p.124

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Laugh at all you trembled at before.

William Cowper

Laughing

'The Progress of Error' (1782) l. 592

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It is a general rule of Judgment, that a mischief should rather be admitted than an inconvenience.

William Cowper

Judgment, Should, Mischief

Devit v. College of Dublin, Gilbert Eq. Ca. 249, as quoted in "The Dictionary of Legal Quotations" by James William Norton-Kyshe (1904), p. 176, 1720.

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Some men make gain a fountain, whence proceeds
A stream of liberal and heroic deeds;
The swell of pity, not to be confined
Within the scanty limits of the mind.

William Cowper

Men, Heroic Deeds, Mind

William Cowper (1845). “The Poetical Works of William Cowper”, p.98

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Tis pleasant, through the loopholes of retreat,
To peep at such a world; to see the stir
Of the Great Babel, and not feel the crowd.

William Cowper

World, Crowds, Retreat

'The Task' (1785) bk. 4 'The Winter Evening' l. 88

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Pity! Religion has so seldom found
A skilful guide into poetic ground!
The flowers would spring where'er she deign'd to stray
And every muse attend her in her way.

William Cowper

Spring, Flower, Religion

William Cowper (1855). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper: With Life, and Critical Notice of His Writings. Eight Engravings on Steel”, p.14

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Religion does not censure or exclude
Unnumbered pleasures, harmlessly pursued.

William Cowper

Religion, Doe, Pleasure

William Cowper (1866). “Poems”, p.164

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Religion, richest favor of the skies.

William Cowper

Sky, Religion, Favors

William Cowper (1856). “The task, Table talk, and other poems: With critical observations of various authors on his genius and character, and notes, critical and illustrative”, p.55

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Go, mark the matchless working of the power
That shuts within the seed the future flower;
Bids these in elegance of form excel.
In color these, and those delight the smell;
Sends nature forth, the daughter of the skies,
To dance on earth, and charm all human eyes.

William Cowper

Daughter, Flower, Eye

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He that attends to his interior self,
That has a heart, and keeps it; has a mind
That hungers, and supplies it; and who seeks
A social, not a dissipated life,
Has business.

William Cowper

Business, Heart, Self

William Cowper (1855). “The complete poetical works of William Cowper, with life and critical notice of his writings”, p.155

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Come, evening, once again, season of peace;
Return, sweet evening, and continue long!
Methinks I see thee in the streaky west,
With matron step, slow moving, while the night
Treads on thy sweeping train; one hand employ'd
In letting fall the curtain of repose
On bird and beast, the other charged for man
With sweet oblivion of the cares of day.

William Cowper

Sweet, Moving, Fall

William Cowper, James Montgomery (1859). “Poems ... With an introductory essay by James Montgomery. [With plates.]”, p.215

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Born: November 26, 1731
Died: April 25, 1800
Occupation: Poet
Cite this Page: Citation

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