The Task: In Six Books |
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Page 14
... far - spreading wood Of ancient growth , make music not unlike The dash of
Ocean on his winding shore , And lull the spirit while they fill the mind ;
Unnumber'd branches waving in the blast , And all their leaves fast fluil'ring , all at
once .
... far - spreading wood Of ancient growth , make music not unlike The dash of
Ocean on his winding shore , And lull the spirit while they fill the mind ;
Unnumber'd branches waving in the blast , And all their leaves fast fluil'ring , all at
once .
Page 18
No tree in all the grove but has its charms , Though each its hue peculiar ; paler
some , And of a wanish gray ; the willow such , And poplar , that with silver lines .
his leaf , And ash far - stretching his umbrageous arm ; Of deeper green the elm ...
No tree in all the grove but has its charms , Though each its hue peculiar ; paler
some , And of a wanish gray ; the willow such , And poplar , that with silver lines .
his leaf , And ash far - stretching his umbrageous arm ; Of deeper green the elm ...
Page 19
So sportive is the light Shot through the boughs , it dances as they dance ,
Shadow and sunshine jutermingling quick , And dark'ning , and enlight'ning , as
the leaves Play wanton , ev'ry moment , ev'ry spot . And now , with nerves new
brac'd ...
So sportive is the light Shot through the boughs , it dances as they dance ,
Shadow and sunshine jutermingling quick , And dark'ning , and enlight'ning , as
the leaves Play wanton , ev'ry moment , ev'ry spot . And now , with nerves new
brac'd ...
Page 25
They pick their fuel out of ev'ry hedge , Which , kindled with dry leaves , just saves
unquench'd The spark of life . The sportive wind blows wide Their fluttering rags ,
and shows a tawny skin , The vellum of the pedigree they claim . Great skill ...
They pick their fuel out of ev'ry hedge , Which , kindled with dry leaves , just saves
unquench'd The spark of life . The sportive wind blows wide Their fluttering rags ,
and shows a tawny skin , The vellum of the pedigree they claim . Great skill ...
Page 27
The dream is past ; and thou hast found again Thy cocoas and bananas , palms
and yams , [ found And homestall thatch'd with leaves . But hast thou Their former
charms ? And , having seen our state , Our palaces , our ladies , and our pomp ...
The dream is past ; and thou hast found again Thy cocoas and bananas , palms
and yams , [ found And homestall thatch'd with leaves . But hast thou Their former
charms ? And , having seen our state , Our palaces , our ladies , and our pomp ...
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Common terms and phrases
beauty beneath BOOK bounds breath cause charms cities clear close course death deep delight distant divine dream e'en earth ease effect ev'ry fair fall fancy fear feeds feel field flow'r force fruit gives glory grace green half hand happy head heart Heav'n holds hope hour human king land least leaves length less light live lost manners means mind nature never o'er once peace perhaps pleasures pow'r praise proud publick rest rise rural sake scene seek seems seen shine side sleep slow smiles song soon soul sound stands stream sweet task taste thee theme thine things thou thought thousand true truth turn vain virtue walk wind winter wisdom worth worthy
Popular passages
Page 161 - One song employs all nations ; and all cry, " Worthy the Lamb, for he was slain for us ! " The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks Shout to each other, and the mountain tops From distant mountains catch the flying joy ; Till, nation after nation taught the strain, Earth rolls the rapturous Hosanna round.
Page 41 - Support and ornament of Virtue's cause. There stands the messenger of truth: there stands The legate of the skies! — His theme divine, His office sacred, his credentials clear. By him the violated law speaks out Its thunders ; and by him, in strains as sweet As angels use, the gospel whispers peace.
Page 155 - I would not enter on my list of friends (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, Yet wanting sensibility) the man Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.
Page 43 - A messenger of grace to guilty men. Behold the picture ! — Is it like ? — Like whom ? The things that mount the rostrum with a skip, And then skip down again ; pronounce a text ; Cry — hem ! and reading what they never wrote, Just fifteen minutes, huddle up their work, And with a well-bred whisper close the scene...
Page 32 - I would not have a slave to till my ground, To carry me, to fan me while I sleep, And tremble when I wake, for all the wealth That sinews bought and sold have ever earn'd.
Page 42 - Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, And anxious mainly that the flock he feeds May feel it too ; affectionate in look, And tender in address, as well becomes A messenger of grace to guilty men.
Page 161 - The garden fears no blight, and needs no fence, For there is none to covet; all are full. The lion, and the libbard, and the bear, Graze with the fearless flocks; all bask at noon Together, or all gambol in the shade Of the same grove, and drink one common stream ; Antipathies are none.
Page 32 - Slaves cannot breathe in England ; if their lungs Receive our air, that moment they are free ; They touch our country, and their shackles fall. That's noble, and bespeaks a nation proud And jealous of the blessing. Spread it then, And let it circulate through every vein Of all your empire ; that, where Britain's power Is felt, mankind may feel her mercy too.
Page 32 - We have no slaves at home — then why abroad ? And they themselves once ferried o'er the wave That parts us, are emancipate and loosed. Slaves cannot breathe in England ; if their lungs Receive our air, that moment they are free; They touch our country, and their shackles fall.
Page 31 - There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart, It does not feel for man ; the natural bond Of brotherhood is sever'd as the flax That falls asunder at the touch of fire.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Task: In Six Books |
| Author | William Cowper |
| Publisher | J. & B. Williams, 1836 |
| Original from | the New York Public Library |
| Digitized | 28 Nov 2006 |
| Length | 172 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |