The Poems of William Cowper: Volume II: 1782-1785This volume includes some of Cowper's finest works, among them such well-known short poems as `The Poplar-Field', `Epitaph on a Hare', `On the Loss of the Royal George' (here restored to the form in which Cowper wrote it, and accompanied by the music for which it was written), and `The Diverting History of John Gilpin' which, two years after its first anonymous publication in a newspaper, suddenly achieved huge popularity in a series of public readings. It also contains Cowper's masterpiece, The Task - one of the most approachable of the great English poems. Cowper's blank verse is a supple instrument, capable of every effect, from the parody-georgic on the growing of cucumbers to the visionary conclusion of Book VI. At the centre of the poem stands the poet himself, presented with wry humour and deep poignancy. The texts are based on manuscripts as well as early editions of the poetry, and are supplied with textual annotation and commentary. In the case of The Task, this is the first fully annotated edition for over a hundred years; its commentary relates the poem to the period in which it was written more fully than any previous edition. |
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Page 34
... hast thou floated , in what seas pursued Thy pastime , when wast thou an egg new - spawn'd , Lost in th ' immensity ... Hast grazed perhaps deleted 15 ] Batavian [ or deleted ] and Hibernian , [ or deleted ] and hast found deleted A ...
... hast thou floated , in what seas pursued Thy pastime , when wast thou an egg new - spawn'd , Lost in th ' immensity ... Hast grazed perhaps deleted 15 ] Batavian [ or deleted ] and Hibernian , [ or deleted ] and hast found deleted A ...
Page 102
... Hast thou left this trembling heart ? In my youth , thy charming eyes Drew me from the ways of men ; Then I drank unmingled joys ; Frown of thine , saw never then . Spouse of Christ was then my name ; And , devoted all to thee ...
... Hast thou left this trembling heart ? In my youth , thy charming eyes Drew me from the ways of men ; Then I drank unmingled joys ; Frown of thine , saw never then . Spouse of Christ was then my name ; And , devoted all to thee ...
Page 102
... Hast thou left this trembling heart ? In my youth , thy charming eyes Drew me from the ways of men ; Then I drank unmingled joys ; Frown of thine , saw never then . Spouse of Christ was then my name ; And , devoted all to thee ...
... Hast thou left this trembling heart ? In my youth , thy charming eyes Drew me from the ways of men ; Then I drank unmingled joys ; Frown of thine , saw never then . Spouse of Christ was then my name ; And , devoted all to thee ...
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Common terms and phrases
Æneid appear beauty beneath Bull cause charms Clifton Reynes Collated copy COPY-TEXT Cowper Illustrated dear death delight divine earth edition ev'n ev'ry eyes fair fear feel flame flow'rs folly garden Gentleman's Magazine give glory grace Guyon Handel Commemoration happy hast Hayley heart heav'n human John Gilpin Johnson Joseph Hill King Lady Austen letter to Unwin lines live London Lord Love Madame Guyon mind Mme Guyon Morning Chronicle nature never night o'er Olney once pain Paradise Lost passage peace perhaps pleasure poem pow'r praise printing repose sacred scene schools seek seems sense shades skies sleep smile song soon sorrow soul stanzas sweet Task taste thee thine thou art thought Tirocinium Title translation truth verse virtue VOLUME 2 CANTIQUE Westminster Westminster School William Bull William Cowper William Unwin winter wish woes ΙΟ