"Not suffering Souls in fleshly cells to lie, / Like the stall'd ox, or glutton of the stye;"

— Woodhouse, James (bap. 1735, d. 1820)


Date
1814, 1816, 1896
Metaphor
"Not suffering Souls in fleshly cells to lie, / Like the stall'd ox, or glutton of the stye;"
Metaphor in Context
In wisdom Providence preserves the whole--
Thro' Matter's medium goads the sentient Soul--
On every Sense impresses hopes and fears,
Thence, firm, o'er Mind, fix'd resolutions rears--
Imprints emotions both from pain and bliss,
By irritating stroke, and kindling kiss--
Still furthering useful ends thro' wants, and woes,
Sickly conceptions, and obstetric throes.
Inflicts fresh pains to spur the weapon'd Will--
Guards greater good by levying lesser ill--
Like a kind Parent, with true tenderness,
For crimes, committed, oft afflicts, to bless!
Not suffering Souls in fleshly cells to lie,
Like the stall'd ox, or glutton of the stye;

But shows that labour with reflection join'd,
Yields Body health, with happiness of Mind!
Provenance
Searching "soul" and "cell" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Poem first published in its entirety in 1896. The 1814 first edition receives notice in The New Monthly Magazine (March 1815); the poem was written "in the last century" (w. 1795-1820?).

Text from The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse, ed. R. I. Woodhouse, 2 vols. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1896). <Link to Hathi Trust> <Link to LION>
Theme
Dualism
Date of Entry
08/17/2005

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