"But still in Fancy's mirror sees / Some more romantic scene would please, / There within a nook most dark, / Where none my musing mood may mark, / Let me, in many a whisper'd rite, / The Genius old of Greece invite, / With that fair wreath my brows to bind, / Which for his chosen imps he twin'd, / Well nurtur'd in Pierian lore, / On clear Ilissus' laureat shore-- / Till high on waving nest reclin'd, / The raven wakes my tranced mind!"
— Warton, Thomas, the younger (1728-1790)
Work Title
Date
1753, 1759, 1770
Metaphor
"But still in Fancy's mirror sees / Some more romantic scene would please, / There within a nook most dark, / Where none my musing mood may mark, / Let me, in many a whisper'd rite, / The Genius old of Greece invite, / With that fair wreath my brows to bind, / Which for his chosen imps he twin'd, / Well nurtur'd in Pierian lore, / On clear Ilissus' laureat shore-- / Till high on waving nest reclin'd, / The raven wakes my tranced mind!"
Metaphor in Context
Or bear me to yon antique wood,
Dim temple of sage Solitude!
But still in Fancy's mirror sees
Some more romantic scene would please,
There within a nook most dark,
Where none my musing mood may mark,
Let me, in many a whisper'd rite,
The Genius old of Greece invite,
With that fair wreath my brows to bind,
Which for his chosen imps he twin'd,
Well nurtur'd in Pierian lore,
On clear Ilissus' laureat shore--
Till high on waving nest reclin'd,
The raven wakes my tranced mind!
(p. 277)
Dim temple of sage Solitude!
But still in Fancy's mirror sees
Some more romantic scene would please,
There within a nook most dark,
Where none my musing mood may mark,
Let me, in many a whisper'd rite,
The Genius old of Greece invite,
With that fair wreath my brows to bind,
Which for his chosen imps he twin'd,
Well nurtur'd in Pierian lore,
On clear Ilissus' laureat shore--
Till high on waving nest reclin'd,
The raven wakes my tranced mind!
(p. 277)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "fancy" and "mirr*" in ECCO-TCP
Citation
Warton's ode was first published in The Union: or Select Scots and English Poems (Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Monro and David Murray, 1753) <Link to ECCO>. But the couplet that begins "But still in Fancy's mirror..." is a later addition, appearing in 1759: "But still in fancy's mirror seen / Some more romantic scene would please." See The Union: or, Select Scots and English Poems (London: Printed for R. Baldwin, 1759), pp. 88-9. <Link to ECCO>
Found searching in ECCO-TCP. Text from A Collection of Poems in Four Volumes. By Several Hands (London: Printed for G. Pearch, 1770). <Link to ECCO-TCP>
Found searching in ECCO-TCP. Text from A Collection of Poems in Four Volumes. By Several Hands (London: Printed for G. Pearch, 1770). <Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
08/23/2013
