Woes may haunt the mind (but the Gods may give "cruel Phantoms to the Wind"

— Grainger, James (1721-1766)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for A. Millar
Date
1759
Metaphor
Woes may haunt the mind (but the Gods may give "cruel Phantoms to the Wind"
Metaphor in Context
Ah! who could think that thou had'st broke thy Vows,
That thou, Neæra! sought'st another Spouse?
Such horrid Crimes, as all Mankind detest,
Could they, how could they, harbour in thy Breast?
The ruthless Deep, I know, was not thy Sire;
Nor fierce Chimæra, belching Floods of Fire;
Nor did'st thou from the triple Monster spring,
Round whom a Coil of kindred Serpents cling;
Thou art not of the Lybian Lions' Seed,
Of barking Scylla's, nor Charybdis' Breed;
Nor Afric's Sands, nor Scythia gave thee Birth;
But a compassionate, benignant Earth.
No! thou, my Fair! deriv'st thy noble Race
From Parents deck'd with every human Grace.

Ye Gods! avert the Woes that haunt my Mind,
And give the cruel Phantoms to the Wind
.
Provenance
Searching "haunt" and "mind" in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
06/08/2004

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.