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Poems by Thomas Odiorne .

in a series of numbers
Odiorne, Thomas (1769-1851)

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No. I.
  
NYMPH OF THE VALLEY.
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MINOR POEMS.
  
THE ROBIN.
  
ECHO.
  
PLEASANT VIEW.
  
THE MONTH OF MARCH.
  
KATE, CRAZED.
  
REFLECTION ON LIFE.
  
ON THE BIBLE.
  
ARK OF FAITH.
  
TO HOPE.
  
TO CHARITY.
  
ON GARRICK.
  
ON WOMAN.
  
ON THE SEXES.
  
SOLEMN MUSING IN A STORM.
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ETHIC STRAINS, ON SUBJECTS SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL, IN THREE PARTS; AND MINOR POEMS.
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ETHIC STRAINS.
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Part I.
 1. 
SECTION I. Love of Solitude.
 2. 
SECTION II. Invocation to Reason and Revelation—God in the Cloud—Divine Agency in Nature—The Rainbow, a Benevolent Token.
 3. 
SECTION III. Natural and Moral Evils, marvellous—Notice of some of their Effects—Instability of Human Affairs, but Nature immutable in her Purpose—A Glance at the Condition of Man—From the Discovery of Deity in the Wisdom of Nature, Moral Truth suggested, and Reason assisted to form harmonious Conclusions.
 4. 
SECTION IV. Influence of External Nature on the Mind—Invitation to associate with Sublime and Beautiful Objects—Images of Fancy, by Similitude—Power of Imagination to retain, and to retrace her Perceptions.
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SECTION V. Survey of Sublime Prospects, with Reflections.
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SECTION VI. A Glance at Ocean, a high Cliff, Torrent, Cataract, Alps in Switzerland, Mont Blanc—Alexander of Russia, illuminated, and his Fame, by Comparison.
 7. 
SECTION VII. Diffusion of Divine Truth—Blessed be the Missionaries!
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Part II.
 1. 
SECTION I. Morn—Apostrophe to Nature—Imagined Efforts under other Circumstances.
 2. 
SECTION II. Effects of Pleasant Prospects—Good Humour—Rural Walk—Descriptions in which several Beautiful Objects are noticed—A perched Bird, singing; Ascending Vapour; An Eagle circling the Skies.
 3. 
SECTION III. Evening.
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Part III.
 1. 
SECTION I. Morn—An Ocean-Scene—Sublime Tempest—Its deliberate Preparations, and dread Pause, previous to its Onset.—Terrible Appendages, and woful Catastrophes.—The Tempest Moralized.
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SECTION II. Other Objects Moralized.
 3. 
SECTION III. Effects of the Sublime, other than of Fear.
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SECTION IV. Instances of the Moral Sublime in a Mariner, and in the Poet.
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SECTION V. Moral Sublime in David.
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SECTION VI. Washington crossing the Delaware—His parting Scene—News of his death—His Character, a Prototype to future years.
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SECTION VII. Character of Alphonzo.
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No. II.
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MORAL EVIL NO ACCIDENT.
  
[prologue]
 1. 
Part I.
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PART II.
 1. 
I.
 2. 
II.
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III.
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IV.
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V.
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VI.
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VII.
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VIII.
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IX.
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X.
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XI.
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XII.
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XIII.
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XIV.
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XV.
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XVI.
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XVII.
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XVIII.
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XIX.
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XX.
 21. 
XXI.
 22. 
XXII.
 23. 
XXIII.
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MINOR POEMS.
  
ON THE MOON.
  
A GLANCE AT WINTER,

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SECTION III.
Evening.

There is a time in nature's round,
When earth appears enchanted ground;—
A season—O divinely fair!
A time to heavenly musing due,
When objects soften on the view,
And Meditation loves to wander there;—
'Tis when the day's departing close
Looks from the west in golden gleams,
And gilds the lake with gorgeous glows,
While nature round like Eden seems;—
'Tis in that stealing, soothing pause,
When gentle birds, the fields along,
Have ceas'd to trill the vesper-song,
While evening mild her curtain draws,
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Shadowy, serene, and cool,
And Labour drops the tool;—
'Tis when the harmonies of light and shade
Meet on the hill, and overspread the glade;—
'Tis then that scen'ry in its softness lies,
And, 'mongst the clouds, aerial visions rise.
Faint, and more faint, suffus'd with dusky grey,
Their dubious aspects slowly die away,
Till darkness, ever faithful to fulfil
Nature's great law, comes brooding o'er the hill.
Wide spreads the sable curtain of repose,
And grants the world oblivion to her woes.
 

“There are occasionally, in summer and autumn, such magical effects, such a universal tone of brilliant colouring, that the very air seems tinged, and an aspect of such harmonious splendour is thrown over every object, that the attention of the most indifferent is awakened, and the lovers of the beautiful in nature enjoy the most lively delight. These are the kind tints which the matchless pencil of Claude vainly endeavoured to imitate. They occur a few times in every year, a little before sunset, and under a particular state and position of the clouds.”

See Let. on East. States.
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