"For then first throbb'd an heart of steel."

— O'Keeffe, John (1747-1833)


Place of Publication
Dublin
Publisher
Printed by John Whitworth
Date
1797
Metaphor
"For then first throbb'd an heart of steel."
Metaphor in Context
AIR,

Redmond
.

When young they call'd me roaring boy,
For blows I took delight in,
My dram I thought a darling toy,
Game chicks I set to fighting;
My play was lusty cudgel raps,
When not my gig top lashing,
The girls I set to pulling caps,
My work was barley thrashing;
The gossips say, ay, they'll be sworn,
A dreadful night, when I was born,
The moon in clouds her face did muffle,
The elements were all at scuffle;
The brook into a torrent swelled,
A rock was split, an oak was felled;
The neighbours scream'd "the houses shake,"
The banshee moan'd, the earth did quake;
A raven sung a thunder peal!
For then first throbb'd an heart of steel.
At speed I ride, it does me good,
If on a horse that's vicious,
From wrangling bull a slice my food,
Such beef-stake how delicious!
Of all my liquors punch I love,
Sweet contradiction jumble,
With joy the craggy cliffs I rove,
So winds and waters rumble.
The gossips say, ay, they'll be sworn, &
c.

[Ex
it.
Provenance
Searching "heart" and "steel" in HDIS (Drama)
Citation
First performed on April 13, 1796. Only 1 entry in ESTC (1797).

The Wicklow Mountains; or the Lad of The Hills, a Comic Opera, in Two Acts. Written by O'Keefe (Dublin: Printed by John Whitworth, 1797). <Link to ESTC>
Date of Entry
06/13/2005

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