THINKST thou to scape this Monsters teeth? Then hope to fly the jaws of Death: Nay, things whose pitch Is farr above the reach Of any Death, are yet assaulted by Detractions most unbounded Cruelty. 2 How oft has Blasphemies black Tongue At God him self her venome flung? And wouldst thou fare Better than things which are The Best of all? faint fool, that cannot be Wherein thy God's a Sharer, Miserie. 3 'Tis rank Repugnancy at which Thy fond ambition doth reach: Canst thou tell how Like every one to grow? Unless thou canst, thou must contented be To let those things which differ, disagree. 4 To win the Proud Mans praise, canst thou Plant insolence on thine own brow; Yet still, to reap Fame with the Sordid, creep Beneath fair Ingenuity? oh no! What creature e'r was Worm & Eagle too? 5 Since then Detraction must at thee Be snarling, on necessitie; In the compleat Armour of Virtue meet Thy peevish Foe, who then, the more she bite, The more she'l break her teeth, & knaw her spight. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE ALTAR by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON A DREAM, FR. SONGS OF INNOCENCE by WILLIAM BLAKE HE'D BE NOTHING BUT HIS VIOLIN by MARY KYLE DALLAS THE SLAVE MOTHER by FRANCES ELLEN WATKINS HARPER A TEMPLE TO FRIENDSHIP by THOMAS MOORE FOOTLIGHT MOTIFS: 3. GABY DESLYS by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS IF THE POETS HAD FEARED THE ADVERTISERS by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS |