The songs and poems of Robert Tannahill With biography, illustrations, and music |
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ODE.
IN IMITATION OF PETER PINDAR (DR. WOLCOT). |
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 | The songs and poems of Robert Tannahill |  |
ODE. IN IMITATION OF PETER PINDAR (DR. WOLCOT).
The simile 's a very useful thing—
This, priests and poets needs must own;
For when the clockwork of their brain runs down,
A simile winds up the mental spring.
For instance, when a priest does scan
The fall of man,
And all its consequences dire,
He makes him first a little sportive pig,—
So clean, so innocent, so trig,—
And then an aged sow, deep wallowing in the mire!
This, priests and poets needs must own;
For when the clockwork of their brain runs down,
A simile winds up the mental spring.
For instance, when a priest does scan
The fall of man,
And all its consequences dire,
He makes him first a little sportive pig,—
So clean, so innocent, so trig,—
And then an aged sow, deep wallowing in the mire!
Yes, sure the simile's a useful thing;
Another instance I will bring.
Another instance I will bring.
Thou'st seen a cork tost on the rain-swell'd stream,
Now up, now down, now whirl'd round and round,
Yet still 'twould swim,
And all the torrent's fury could not drown 't:
So have I seen a forward, empty fop
Tost in Wit's blanket, ridicul'd, et cetera;
Yet, after all the banter, off he 'd hop,
Quite confident in self-sufficiency.
Now up, now down, now whirl'd round and round,
Yet still 'twould swim,
And all the torrent's fury could not drown 't:
So have I seen a forward, empty fop
Tost in Wit's blanket, ridicul'd, et cetera;
Yet, after all the banter, off he 'd hop,
Quite confident in self-sufficiency.
Ah! had kind Heaven,
For a defence,
Allow'd me half the brazen confidence
That she to many a cork-brain'd fool hath given!
For a defence,
Allow'd me half the brazen confidence
That she to many a cork-brain'd fool hath given!
| The songs and poems of Robert Tannahill | |