Poems

A selection of poems notable for frequency of appearance, significance to their miscellany context, or meta-reflection on the subject of compiling a poetry book

Displaying 151–175 poems out of 184 total

Search for keywords within first line, transcription, description, or author name. For exact phrases, use quotation marks (e.g. “A knife dear girl”)

First Line Author Description Manuscripts
Unskill'd in Numbers & poetic flight Eleanor Peart

Occasional (Presentation of gift book) [Family; Literature]. 

Transcribed from Bodleian Eng. Poet. e.28.

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Unspoilt by flattery, and Untaught by art William Heath Marsh

Occasional [Literature; Friendship].

Transcribed from "To a Lady who had expressed her approbation of some of the Authors productions, and solicited the sight of some further effusions of his Muse." Marsh, William Heath. UChicago Library Codex Ms 529 vol. 2 pp. 50–52.

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View not this Spire by Measure giv'n Matthew Prior

Occasional [erection of a column] (Death, afterlife; Devotional writing, religious belief). 

Transcribed from Prior, Matthew, "Engraven on a Column in the Church of Halstead in Essex, The Spire of which, burnt down by Lightning, was rebuilt at the Expense of Mr. Samuel Fiske, 1717." Poems on several occasions, 1718, p. 312. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0111475928.

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Virtue and Fame, the other day George Lyttelton

Dialogue; Answer. [Conduct, morality; Celebrity.]

Transcribed from "VIRTUE and FAME. to the Ct—Ss of E—Gr—t." The Gentleman's Magazine: and historical chronicle, vol. 31, March 1761, p. 135. British Periodicals, [ProQuest document ID:] 8577580.

Sometimes includes an extempore by Earl Hardwicke. 

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Welcome little helpless stranger Anna Letitia Barbauld

Occasional (Child's birth) [Family]. 

Transcribed from "On the Birth of an Infant." Miscellanies, moral and instructive, in prose and verse, collected from various authors, for the use of schools, and improvement of young persons of both sexes, vol. 2, 1793, p. 86. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0115374333. 

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What art thou, Spleen, which everything dost ape? Anne Kingsmill Finch

Ode [Passions, sentiments].

Transcribed from Finch, Anne Kingsmill. The spleen, a pindarique ode. By a lady. Together with A prospect of death: a pindarique essay, 1709. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0113427011. 

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What Fears, what Terrors does thy Gift create! Samuel Johnson

Transcribed from "On a LADY's Presenting a Spring of MYRTLE to a GENTLEMAN." The Museum : or, The literary and historical register, vol. 2, issue 26, March 1747, p. 429. British Periodicals, [ProQuest document ID:] 3911152.

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When Bath, grown temperate, his bottle leaves [Nixon]

Panegyric [Humour; Public affairs]. 

Transcribed from Nixon, A Prophecy, 1790. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CB0127690318. 

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When Delia on the Plain appears George Lyttelton

Song; Pastoral [Love]. 

Transcribed from [Lyttleton, George,] "A Song." Tunbrigialia: or, Tunbridge miscellanies, for the year 1733, 1733, pp. 14–15. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0110247939. 

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When e'er the cruel hand of death

Ode; Parody [Humour]. 

Transcribed from "On the Fall of a CHINA QUART." St. James magazine, vol. 1, November 1762, pp. 212-214. British Periodicals, [ProQuest document ID:] 6140779. 

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When Foes are o'ercome, we preserve them from Slaughter Jonathan Swift

Occasional (British Government awarding contract to William Wood to mint halfpennies for use in Ireland) [Satire - political; Public affairs].

Transcribed from Swift, Jonathan, A Serious Poem upon William Wood, Brasier, Tinker, Hard-Ware-Man, Coiner, Counterfeiter, Founder and Esquire, 1724. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0117155473. 

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When Horace wak'd his lyric strains William Boscawen

Ode; Occasional (gift of author's Odes of Horace) [Classical themes; Historical subjects; Women]; original to the Folger M.a. 163. 

Boscawen, William, "Verses to Lady Elinor Butler and Miss Ponsonby, sent with the author's translation of The Odes of Horace," Poems by William Boscawen, Esq. ... , 1801, pp. 96–98. Google Books.

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When Pallas saw the piece her pupils wrought Christopher Pitt

Occasional (On seeing a flowered carpet) [Women; Classical themes]. 

Transcribed from "Verses on a Flower'd Carpet, Work'd by the Young Ladies at Kingston." The student, or, the Oxford, and Cambridge monthly miscellany, 1750, pp. 266–267. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0115312326. 

 2
When Snows descend, and robe the Fields James Hervey

Translation [Nature]. 

Transcribed from Hervey, James. Meditations among the tombs. In a letter to a lady, 1746, pt. 2, p. 99.  Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0119672640.

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When Tadloe walks the Streets, the Paviours Cry

Epigram [Humour].

Transcribed from "CLXXIII." A collection of epigrams. To which is prefix'd, a critical dissertation on this species of poetry, 1727, p. 114. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0110240627.

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Where the loveliest expression to features is join'd Charles James Fox

Sonnet [Celebrities; Friendship; Love]. 

Transcribed from Fox, Charles. "Verses upon Mrs. Crewe." The festival of wit: or, the small talker..., 1783, pp. 166–168. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0124736774.

 10
While Night in solemn Shade invests the Pole Elizabeth Carter

Lyric [Passions; Conduct, morality].

Transcribed from Carter, Elizabeth. Poems on several occasions, 1762, pp. 31–34. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CB0130752242.

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Whilst half asleep my Chloe lies Soame Jenyns

Lyric; Ode [Love; Women]. 

Transcribed by Jenyns, Soame, "Given to a Lady with a watch which she borrowed to hand at her bed's head." The works of Soame Jenyns, Esq. In four volumes. Including several pieces never before published. To which are prefixed, short sketches of the history of the author's family, and also of his life, 1790, pp. 180–181. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0114855032. 

 2
Whilst well-wrote lines our wond'ring eyes command Soame Jenyns

Ode [Literature; Love; Women]. 

Transcribed from Jenyns, Soame, "To a Lady, In answer to a Letter wrote in a very fine Hand." Poems. By *****, 1752, pp. 127–129. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0111724490. 

 2
White as her hand fair Julia threw Soame Jenyns

Translation; ode [Love]. 

Transcribed from Jenyns, Soame, "The Snow-ball, from Petronius Afranius." Poems. By *****, 1752, p. 174. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0111724490. 

 2
Who e'er is at Crewe Charles Burney (1726–1814)

Occasional (request for contributions to an album) [Literature; Local interest].

Transcribed from Beinecke Osborn d49, pp. 253–256. 

 1
Who many a sturdy Oak has laid along

Epitaph [Public affairs; Humour, wordplay; Nature].

Transcribed from "John Sprong..." Universal Spectator and Weekly Journal, issue 450, 21 May 1737, p. 4. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Burney Newspapers Collection, GALE|Z2001497430.

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Whoe'er like me, with trembling anguish brings William Mason

Elegy; Epitaph [Illness; Death, afterlife; Love]. 

Transcribed from Shiercliff, Edward. The bristol and Hotwell guide: containing an historical account of the ancient and present state of that opulent city; also of the Hotwell...,1793, pp. 77–78. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0100872204. 

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Why does the Fair this Task impose

Occasional (Request for a poem) [Humour, wordplay; Love].

Transcribed from "To a young Lady, who desir'd a Mathematician to make her some Verses." Miscellaneous poems, by several hands, published by D. Lewis, 1730, pp. 190–193. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0112957041.

 1
Why droops the head, why languishes the eye Peter Pinnell

Hymn [Devotional material, religious belief].

Transcribed from "A SERMON in VERSE." The Gentleman's Magazine: and historical chronicle, vol. 29, January 1759, pp. 29-30. British Periodicals, [ProQuest document ID:] 8570575.

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