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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PROGRESS OF VICE, by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Deep in the gulph of vice and woe Last Line: Ah! Close the scene -- ah! Close -- for dreadful is the sight. Subject(s): Evil | |||
Deep in the gulph of Vice and Woe Leaps man at once with headlong throw? Him inborn Truth and Virtue guide, Whose guards are shame and conscious pride; In some gay hour Vice steals into the breast; Perchance she wears some softer Virtue's vest. By unperceiv'd degrees she tempts to stray, Till far from Virtue's path she leads the feet away. Then swift the soul to disenthrall Will Memory the past recall, And fear before the Victim's eyes Bid future ills and dangers rise. But hark! the voice, the lyre, their charms combine -- Gay sparkles in the cup the generous wine; Th' inebriate dance the fair frail nymph inspires, And Virtue vanquish'd -- scorn'd -- with hasty flight retires. But soon to tempt the pleasures cease; Yet shame forbids return to peace, And stern necessity will force Still to urge on the desperate course. The drear black paths of Vice the wretch must try, Where Conscience flashes horror on each eye, Where Hate -- where Murder scowl -- where starts Affright! Ah! close the scene -- ah! close -- for dreadful is the sight. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AGAIN AND AGAIN I HAVE SEEN LIFE'S EVIL by EUGENIO MONTALE PACKING THE HEART by MARY JO BANG ON LADY POLTAGRUE: A PUBLIC PERIL by HILAIRE BELLOC TO A YOUNG AMERICAN THE DAY AFTER THE FALL OF BARCELONA by JOHN CIARDI THE SAINTS OF NEGATIVITY; FOR ERMA POUNDS by NORMAN DUBIE AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS WAR by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON ELECTION DAY, 1984 by CAROLYN KIZER A CHILD'S EVENING PRAYER by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE A DAY DREAM by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE A THOUGHT SUGGESTED BY A VIEW, OF SADDLEBACK IN CUMBERLAND by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE |
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