"But thy unerring Hands, with matchless Art / Have shewn my Eyes th'Impression in my Heart;"
— Congreve, William (1670-1729)
Date
1710
Metaphor
"But thy unerring Hands, with matchless Art / Have shewn my Eyes th'Impression in my Heart;"
Metaphor in Context
Oft have I try'd, with unavailing Care,
To trace some Image of the much-lov'd Fair;
But still my Numbers ineffectual prov'd,
And rather shew'd how much, than whom, I lov'd:
But thy unerring Hands, with matchless Art,
Have shewn my Eyes th'Impression in my Heart;
The bright Idea both exists and lives,
Such vital Heat thy Genial Pencil gives:
Whose daring Point, not to the Face confin'd,
Can penetrate the Heart, and paint the Mind.
Others some faint Resemblance may express,
Which, as 'tis drawn by Chance, we find by Guess.
Thy Pictures raise no Doubts, when brought to View,
At once they're known, and seem to know us too.
Transcendent Artist! How compleat thy Skill!
Thy Pow'r to act, is equal to thy Will.
Nature and Art, in thee, alike contend,
Not to oppose each other, but befriend:
For what thy Fancy has with Fire design'd,
Is by thy Skill, both temper'd and refin'd.
As in thy Pictures, Light consents with Shade,
And, each, to other is subservient made,
Judgment and Genius so concur in thee,
And both unite in perfect Harmony.
To trace some Image of the much-lov'd Fair;
But still my Numbers ineffectual prov'd,
And rather shew'd how much, than whom, I lov'd:
But thy unerring Hands, with matchless Art,
Have shewn my Eyes th'Impression in my Heart;
The bright Idea both exists and lives,
Such vital Heat thy Genial Pencil gives:
Whose daring Point, not to the Face confin'd,
Can penetrate the Heart, and paint the Mind.
Others some faint Resemblance may express,
Which, as 'tis drawn by Chance, we find by Guess.
Thy Pictures raise no Doubts, when brought to View,
At once they're known, and seem to know us too.
Transcendent Artist! How compleat thy Skill!
Thy Pow'r to act, is equal to thy Will.
Nature and Art, in thee, alike contend,
Not to oppose each other, but befriend:
For what thy Fancy has with Fire design'd,
Is by thy Skill, both temper'd and refin'd.
As in thy Pictures, Light consents with Shade,
And, each, to other is subservient made,
Judgment and Genius so concur in thee,
And both unite in perfect Harmony.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "heart" and "impression" in HDIS (Poetry); found again "idea"
Date of Entry
05/16/2005
