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 99
... pleasure deleted A 55 Sorrow , and Love ] Love and the Cross deleted A Those dear associates , bosom friends Till life's perpetual warfare ends deleted A 58 still are one ] never part deleted A 68 holy ] deathless A 59 Nor , till the ...
... pleasure deleted A 55 Sorrow , and Love ] Love and the Cross deleted A Those dear associates , bosom friends Till life's perpetual warfare ends deleted A 58 still are one ] never part deleted A 68 holy ] deathless A 59 Nor , till the ...
Page 83
... pleasure , make Of torment , suffer'd for his sake . Ye meads and groves , unconscious things ! Ye know not whence my pleasure springs , Ye know not , and ye cannot know , The source from which my sorrows flow ; The dear sole Cause of ...
... pleasure , make Of torment , suffer'd for his sake . Ye meads and groves , unconscious things ! Ye know not whence my pleasure springs , Ye know not , and ye cannot know , The source from which my sorrows flow ; The dear sole Cause of ...
Page 99
... pleasure deleted A 55 Sorrow , and Love ] Love and the Cross deleted A Those dear associates , bosom friends Till life's perpetual warfare ends deleted A part deleted A 59 Nor , till the race ] Nor ever once deleted A 69 must forever ...
... pleasure deleted A 55 Sorrow , and Love ] Love and the Cross deleted A Those dear associates , bosom friends Till life's perpetual warfare ends deleted A part deleted A 59 Nor , till the race ] Nor ever once deleted A 69 must forever ...
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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