Tongue-doughty pedant; whose ambitious mind Prompts thee beyond thy native pitch to soar; And, imped with borrowed plumes of index-lore, Range through the vast of science unconfined! Not for thy wing was such a flight designed: Know thy own strength, and wise attempt no more; But lowly skim round error's winding shore, In quest of paradox from sense refined. Much hast thou written -- more than will be read; Then cease from Shakespeare thy unhallowed rage; Nor by a fond o'er-weening pride misled, Hope fame by injuring the sacred dead: Know, who would comment well his godlike page, Critic, must have a heart as well as head. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI: 3. FULL MOON by JOHN GOULD FLETCHER THE CHILDREN'S HOUR by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE DEATH OF LYON by HENRY PETERSON THE STRANGER'S ALMS by HENRY ABBEY THE CHIMNEY-SWEEPER'S COMPLAINT by MARY (CUMBERLAND) ALCOCK ON AN INTAGLIO HEAD OF MINERVA (2) by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH ROCOCO by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH THE APOLOGY OF THE BISHOPS IN ANSWER TO BONNER'S GHOST by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD |