"Where dwells the soul against Compassion steel'd, / Or who disdains the generous tear to yield?"
— Robinson [Née Darby], Mary [Perdita] (1758-1800)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for T. Becket
Date
1777
Metaphor
"Where dwells the soul against Compassion steel'd, / Or who disdains the generous tear to yield?"
Metaphor in Context
Such are the griefs which claim the heart-felt sigh,
And force the feeling drop from Pity's eye:
Who can Humanity's soft power subdue,
Or who unmov'd, the Captive's misery view?
Where dwells the soul against Compassion steel'd,
Or who disdains the generous tear to yield?
If such there are, (forbid it, bounteous Heaven!)
May all their crimes hereafter be forgiven,
And may the injur'd Powers on them bestow,
That Pity, they refuse to others' woe.
And force the feeling drop from Pity's eye:
Who can Humanity's soft power subdue,
Or who unmov'd, the Captive's misery view?
Where dwells the soul against Compassion steel'd,
Or who disdains the generous tear to yield?
If such there are, (forbid it, bounteous Heaven!)
May all their crimes hereafter be forgiven,
And may the injur'd Powers on them bestow,
That Pity, they refuse to others' woe.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "soul" and "steel" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Captivity, A Poem. And Celadon and Lydia, A Tale. Dedicated, by Permission. To Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire. By Mrs. Robinson (London: Printed for T. Becket, 1777).
Date of Entry
06/12/2005
