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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE JUDGMENT OF THE POETS, by WILLIAM COWPER Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Two nymphs, both nearly of an age Last Line: "and pinch your noses blue." Subject(s): Poetry & Poets | |||
Two nymphs, both nearly of an age, Of numerous charms possessed, A warm dispute once chanced to wage Whose temper was the best. The worth of each had been complete Had both alike been mild; But one, although her smile was sweet, Frowned oftener than she smiled; And in her humour, when she frowned, Would raise her voice, and roar, And shake with fury to the ground The garland that she wore. The other was of gentler cast, From all such frenzy clear, Her frowns were seldom known to last, And never proved severe. To poets of renown in song The nymphs referred the cause, Who, strange to tell, all judged it wrong, And gave misplaced applause. They gentle called, and kind and soft, The flippant and the scold, And though she changed her mood so oft, That failing left untold. No judges, sure, were e'er so mad, Or so resolved to err,-- In short, the charms her sister had They lavished all on her. Then thus the god, whom fondly they Their great Inspirer call, Was heard, one genial summer's day, To reprimand them all. "Since thus ye have combined," he said, "My favourite nymph to slight, "Adorning May, that peevish maid, "With June's undoubted right, "The minx shall, for your folly's sake, "Still prove herself a shrew, "Shall make your scribbling fingers ache, "And pinch your noses blue." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ENVY OF OTHER PEOPLE'S POEMS by ROBERT HASS THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AS A SONG by ROBERT HASS THE FATALIST: TIME IS FILLED by LYN HEJINIAN OXOTA: A SHORT RUSSIAN NOVEL: CHAPTER 192 by LYN HEJINIAN LET ME TELL YOU WHAT A POEM BRINGS by JUAN FELIPE HERRERA JUNE JOURNALS 6/25/88 by JUAN FELIPE HERRERA FOLLOW ROZEWICZ by JUAN FELIPE HERRERA HAVING INTENDED TO MERELY PICK ON AN OIL COMPANY, THE POEM GOES AWRY by HICOK. BOB A COMPARISON by WILLIAM COWPER |
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