University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
Poetics

Or, a series of poems, and disquisitions on poetry. By George Dyer
Dyer, George (1755-1841)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I.
collapse section 
ODES.
collapse section1. 
BOOK THE FIRST.
 I. 
ODE I. VISIONS.
 III. 
ODE III. ON REVISITING THE SCENES OF EARLIER LIFE.
 IV. 
ODE IV. ON THE APPROACH OF SPRING.
 V. 
ODE V. INDEPENDENCE.
 VI. 
ODE VI. TO JOHN HAMMOND, A. M. OF FENSTANTON, HUNTINGDONSHIRE.
 VII. 
ODE VII. THE RECONCILIATION.
 VIII. 
ODE VIII. INVOCATION TO MAY.
collapse section2. 
BOOK THE SECOND.
collapse sectionI. 
ODE I. THE RACE OF HEROES.
 I. 
I.
 II. 
II.
 III. 
III.
 II. 
ODE II. PEACE AND FREEDOM.
 III. 
ODE III. TO MRS. OPIE, WHEN MISS ALDERSON,
 IV. 
ODE IV. TO AN INFANT,
 VI. 
ODE VI. ON CONTEMPLATING THE WEALTH AND AGGRANDIZEMENT FLOWING FROM CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS IN INDIA.
 X. 
ODE X. ON THE EVENING.
 XI. 
ODE XI. CUPID'S ADDRESS;
 XII. 
ODE XII. ON SEEING A LADY'S PORTRAIT.
 XIII. 
ODE XIII. LOVE OF PLEASURE.
 XIV. 
ODE XIV. THE MUSIC OF THE GROVES.
 XV. 
ODE XV. GAIA, OR MY OWN HONEST LANDLADY IN A COUNTRY VILLAGE.
 XVI. 
ODE XVI. THE PHILOSOPHY OF EVIL.
 XVII. 
ODE XVII. ADDRESS TO THE CAM.
 XVIII. 
ODE XVIII. TO A LADY, WHO HAD RALLIED THE AUTHOR IN THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE, FOR HIS REJECTION OF TITLES.
 XXI. 
ODE XXI. TO NARCISSA.
 XXII. 
ODE XXII. TO MELANCHOLY.
 XXIII. 
ODE XXIII. MEDITATED IN THE CLOISTERS OF CHRIST'S HOSPITAL.
collapse section3. 
BOOK THE THIRD.
 II. 
ODE II. ON THE CLOSE OF AUTUMN, AFTER AN EXCURSION THROUGH HERTFORDSHIRE AND ESSEX.
 III. 
ODE III. THE RANSOM.
 IV. 
ODE IV. ON SCIENCE.
 VI. 
ODE VI. TO AN ENTHUSIAST.
 VIII. 
ODE VIII. ON PEACE.
 IX. 
ODE IX. ON CONSIDERING THE UNSETTLED STATE OF EUROPE, AND THE OPPOSITION WHICH HAD BEEN MADE TO ATTEMPTS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE-TRADE.
 XII. 
ODE XII. WRITTEN ON THE DEATH OF JOHN HOWARD, AT HIS VILLA AT CARDINGTON, IN BEDFORDSHIRE.
 XIII. 
ODE XIII. TO THE NIGHTINGALE.
 XV. 
ODE XV. TO A MINIATURE PAINTER,
 XXI. 
ODE XXI. AN EPITAPH FOR A HUMAN BEING.
 XXII. 
ODE XXII. TO A HUMBLE FRIEND.
collapse section4. 
BOOK THE FOURTH.
 II. 
ODE II. AN ENGLISH SAPPHIC, IN PRAISE OF SNUFF AND TOBACCO.
 III. 
ODE III. TO MUSIC.
 IV. 
ODE IV. ON WINE.
 V. 
ODE V. AFTER VISITING DRYBURGH ABBEY, IN BERWICKSHIRE.
 VI. 
ODE VI. THE CHARM OF MUSIC.
 VII. 
ODE VII. HYMN TO CHARITY.
 VIII. 
ODE VIII. THE SAILOR.
 IX. 
ODE IX. THE TRIUMPH OF POETRY.
 X. 
ODE X. A SONG.
 XI. 
ODE XI. ON THE DEATH OF FRIENDS, AND THE HAVOC OF WAR.
 XII. 
ODE XII. HYMN TO HEALTH.
 XIII. 
ODE XIII.
 XIV. 
ODE XIV.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section Poetics
next section
195

ODE III. TO MUSIC.

STROPHE.

Cease, cease that trifling measure:—
While generous passions burn,
Let the Vine, and let Music have their turn,
Music and Wine the poet's treasure.
Rise then, O Song, again,
Strike now a proud, yet a sprightlier strain,
From the Æolian string,
And sing and soar upon thy boldest wing;
As when of old,
Great Pindar caroll'd
Games, Gods, Conquerors bold.
Is there who treacherously old friends uses?
Or who wantonly new friends chooses?
May he muse, but out of time,
May he sing, and yet ne'er find rhime;
196

Still, still in ill-starr'd strains prolong
His faint song—
Treacherous such lays,
His gossemeric feigning;
And may Beauty deceiv'd give as treacherous praise,
With a feeling of as proud disdaining.
But grant, kind Heav'n, howe'er may fade my numbers past,
Fresh may my friendships bloom, and long, long may my pleasures last.

ANTISTROPHE.

Hail, hail, supreme magician!
Thou dost o'errule yon spheres,
All harmonious, and months, and days, and years,
Rulest, to man the soul's physician;
Thou friend, who canst compose,
Heart-rankling tumults, and our bitterest woes;
And the base passions, tho' dire,
At thine all-conqu'ring influence retire.
I would thee hail,
Sweet Music! ne'er fail,
Still o'er me to prevail!
Bear me, Enthusiast Heav'nly, bear me,
Quick to some gothic temple, where me,
While the organ shakes the pile,
Rapture may inspire the while;
Or where on silver Thames the horn so clear,
May greet my ear;
197

Or where the trumpet's sound,
Has rous'd dread hosts to battle;
Or victory is shouting round,
Midst instruments' mixt rattle.
Or where the wondrous Handel rolls sublime along,
Mingling deep harmonies, the loud, majestic tide of song.

EPODE.

But most, enchantress sweet, be seen,
In Cecilia's form and mien:
How can her voice and instrument combining,
How can she sooth and elevate the soul!
The heart consoling, and the sense refining,
How all that wants controlling, can control!
“Oh! had I Jubal's lyre,
“And Miriam's tuneful voice,
“To rouse the patriot's fire;
“His rapturous joys!
“Love should then obey my call,
“Hope sitting by;
“And Pity, kind and smiling still on all,
“Melt each eye!
“Song, too, should, like a charm,
“Drive out the demon, Pain;
“And the warrior fierce of his sword should disarm;
“Boisterous passions should conquer and tame:
“Till seeing life by slow degrees decay,
“I sweet melodious airs would softly sing.
“Thus would I lift the good spirit away,
“Rapturous, as borne on some blest seraph's wing
198

“Oh! Music, thus assume thy heavenly form,
“Thus sooth the secret soul, and smooth Life's roughest, rudest storm.
previous section Poetics
next section