"This, no licentious Rhapsody of Words, / Nor Fancy's Coinage, which my Verse affords;"
— Whyte, Samuel (1733-1811)
Author
Place of Publication
Dublin
Publisher
Printed by R. Marchbank
Date
1772
Metaphor
"This, no licentious Rhapsody of Words, / Nor Fancy's Coinage, which my Verse affords;"
Metaphor in Context
This, no licentious Rhapsody of Words,
Nor Fancy's Coinage, which my Verse affords;
From Observation's nice, impartial Laws,
Fair Nature dictates what my Pencil draws--
O Gratitude! thou loveliest, and the best,
Of all the Virtues which adorn the Breast;
For where thou dwell'st, there center all the Rest;
Thou favourite Child of Heaven! who canst dispense
Delights above the vulgar Joys of Sense,
Home-felt Delights, which Knavery, and Art,
Can ne'er enjoy, nor ever can impart,
Thy sacred Laurels plant around her Head;
Strike Envy dumb; and crush foul Slander dead.
Lo! crowding Wretches, Wretches, now, no more,
Age, Sickness, Poverty, reliev'd by her,
Men, Women, Children, launch her Praises forth,
Pour down glad Blessings, and attest her Worth:
To this, the glowing Muse her Voice confines;
To this, she dedicates these heart-felt Lines.
Nor Fancy's Coinage, which my Verse affords;
From Observation's nice, impartial Laws,
Fair Nature dictates what my Pencil draws--
O Gratitude! thou loveliest, and the best,
Of all the Virtues which adorn the Breast;
For where thou dwell'st, there center all the Rest;
Thou favourite Child of Heaven! who canst dispense
Delights above the vulgar Joys of Sense,
Home-felt Delights, which Knavery, and Art,
Can ne'er enjoy, nor ever can impart,
Thy sacred Laurels plant around her Head;
Strike Envy dumb; and crush foul Slander dead.
Lo! crowding Wretches, Wretches, now, no more,
Age, Sickness, Poverty, reliev'd by her,
Men, Women, Children, launch her Praises forth,
Pour down glad Blessings, and attest her Worth:
To this, the glowing Muse her Voice confines;
To this, she dedicates these heart-felt Lines.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "coin" and "fancy" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
5 entries in the ESTC (1773, 1774, 1772, 1782).
See The Shamrock: or, Hibernian Cresses. A Collection of Poems, Songs, Epigrams, &c. Latin as well as English, The Original Production of Ireland. (Dublin: Printed by R. Marchbank, 1772). <Link to ECCO> <Link to 1774 edition in Google Books>
See The Shamrock: or, Hibernian Cresses. A Collection of Poems, Songs, Epigrams, &c. Latin as well as English, The Original Production of Ireland. (Dublin: Printed by R. Marchbank, 1772). <Link to ECCO> <Link to 1774 edition in Google Books>
Date of Entry
04/14/2005
Date of Review
04/26/2007
