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William Cowper Quotes - Page 9

All Quotes Age Art Children Church Country Death Earth Evil Friendship Gardening Giving God Grace Happiness Heart Heaven Home Humanity Inspirational Joy Judging Judgment Kissing Knowledge Liberty Life Loss Love Lying Manners Mercy Music Nature Pain Pleasure Poetry Poverty Prayer Preaching Pride Purpose Reading Religion Retirement Running Sin Skins Slavery Solitude Son Soul Sports Spring Time Truth Virtue War Water Weed Winter Wisdom Wit

Necessity invented stools, Convenience next suggested elbow-chairs, And luxury the accomplish'd Sofa last.

Necessity invented stools, Convenience next suggested elbow-chairs, And luxury the accomplish'd Sofa last.

Luxury, Elbows, Lasts

William Cowper (1852). “Poems”, p.159

Meditation here may think down hours to moments. Here the heart may give a useful lesson to the head and learning wiser grow without his books.

Yoga, Book, Heart

William Cowper, Robert Southey (1836). “The Works of William Cowper, Esq., Comprising His Poems, Correspondence, and Translations: With a Life of the Author”, p.234

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

Struggle, Men, Noble

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

O, popular applause! what heart of man is proof against thy sweet, seducing charms?

Sweet, Heart, Men

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.67

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.

World, Crowds, Retreat

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

A Christian's wit is offensive light, A beam that aids, but never grieves the sight; Vig'rous in age as in the flush of youth, 'Tis always active on the side of truth.

Christian, Grieving, Light

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

Suicide, Pits, Graves

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

Strange as it may seem, the most ludicrous lines I ever wrote have been written in the saddest mood.

Lines, May, Strange

William Cowper, Robert Southey, William Harvey (1836). “The Works of William Cowper: Life and works of Cowper, by R. Southey”, p.39

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!

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

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.

Drawing, Common Sense, Toil

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

Man on the dubious waves of error toss'd.

Men, Errors, Dubious

Cowper: Poetical Works Truth l. 1

Without one friend, above all foes, Britannia gives the world repose.

Giving, World, England

William Cowper (1855). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper: With Life, and Critical Notice of His Writings. Eight Engravings on Steel”, p.370

But many a crime deemed innocent on earth Is registered in Heaven; and these no doubt Have each their record, with a curse annex'd.

Heaven, Doubt, Records

Thieves at home must hang; but he that puts Into his overgorged and bloated purse The wealth of Indian provinces, escapes.

Home, Thieves, Purses

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.129

But conversation, choose what theme we may, And chiefly when religion leads the way, Should flow, like waters after summer show'rs, Not as if raised by mere mechanic powers.

Summer, Water, May

William Cowper, “Conversation”

There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart; he does not feel for man.

Heart, Men, Doe

William Cowper, James Sambrook (2016). “William Cowper: The Task and Selected Other Poems”, p.111, Routledge

They fix attention, heedless of your pain, With oaths like rivets forced into the brain; And e'en when sober truth prevails throughout, They swear it, till affirmance breeds a doubt.

Pain, Doubt, Brain

William Cowper (1853). “The Poetical Works of William Cowper: With Life ; Six Engravings on Steel”, p.83

True modesty is a discerning grace And only blushes in the proper place; But counterfeit is blind, and skulks through fear, Where 'tis a shame to be asham'd t' appear: Humility the parent of the first, The last by vanity produc'd and nurs'd.

Humility, Vanity, Parent

William Cowper (1852). “Poems”, p.125

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.

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

Admirals extolled for standing still, or doing nothing with a deal of skill.

War, Skills, Doing Nothing

'Table Talk' (1782) l. 192

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

Honesty, Shining, Lawyer

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

Fashion, leader of a chatt'ring train, Whom man for his own hurt permits to reign Who shifts and changes all things but his shape, And would degrade her vot'ry to an ape, The fruitful parent of abuse and wrong, Holds a usurp'd dominion o'er his tongue, There sits and prompts him with his own disgrace, Prescribes the theme, the tone, and the grimace, And when accomplish'd in her wayward school, Calls gentleman whom she has made a fool.

Fashion, Hurt, School

William Cowper (1837). “Poems; to which is prefixed a memoir of the author by J. M'Diarmid”, p.217

Folly ends where genuine hope begins.

Hope, Ends, Genuine

William Cowper (1872). “Table talk, Truth, Expostulation, Hope, Charity, and other poems”, p.91

She that asks Her dear five hundred friends, contemns them all, And hates their coming.

Friends, Hate, Hundred

William Cowper (1855). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Cowper: With Life, and Critical Notice of His Writings. Eight Engravings on Steel”, p.144

But, oh, Thou bounteous Giver of all good, Thou art, of all Thy gifts, Thyself thy crown!

God, Art, Crowns

William Cowper (1854). “Poetical Works”, p.58

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