Classic and Contemporary Poetry
VERSES SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER SELKIRK, by WILLIAM COWPER Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: I am monarch of all I survey Last Line: And reconciles man to his lot. Variant Title(s): Verses By Alexander Selkirk;alexander Selkirk;the Solitude Of Alexander Selkirk Subject(s): Explorers; Memory; Selkirk, Alexander (1676-1721); Solitude; Exploring; Discovery; Discoverers; Loneliness | ||||||||
I am monarch of all I survey,-- My right there is none to dispute; From the centre all round to the sea, I am lord of the fowl and the brute. O Solitude! where are the charms That sages have seen in thy face? Better dwell in the midst of alarms Than reign in this horrible place. I am out of humanity's reach; I must finish my journey alone, Never hear the sweet music of speech,-- I start at the sound of my own. The beasts that roam over the plain My form with indifference see; They are so unacquainted with man, Their tameness is shocking to me. Society, friendship, and love, Divinely bestowed upon man! O, had I the wings of a dove, How soon would I taste you again! My sorrows I then might assuage In the ways of religion and truth,-- Might learn from the wisdom of age, And be cheered by the sallies of youth. Religion! what treasure untold Resides in that heavenly word!-- More precious than silver and gold, Or all that tiffs earth can afford; But the sound of the church-going bell These valleys and rocks never heard, Never sighed at the sound of a knell, Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared. Ye winds that have made me your sport, Convey to this desolate shore Some cordial, endearing report Of a land I shall visit no more! My friends,--do they now and then send A wish or a thought after me? O, tell me I yet have a friend, Though a friend I am never to see. How fleet is a glance of the mind! Compared with the speed of its flight, The tempest itself lags behind, And the swift-winged arrows of light. When I think of my own native land, In a moment I seem to be there; In a moment I seem to be there; But, alas! recollection at hand Soon hurries me back to despair. But the sea-fowl is gone to her nest, The beast is laid down in his lair; Even here is a season of rest., And I to my cabin repair. There's mercy in every place, And mercy--encouraging thought!-- Gives even affliction a grace, And reconciles man to his lot. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN ABEYANCE by DENISE LEVERTOV IN A VACANT HOUSE by PHILIP LEVINE SUNDAY ALONE IN A FIFTH FLOOR APARTMENT, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS by WILLIAM MATTHEWS SILENCE LIKE COOL SAND by PAT MORA THE HONEY BEAR by EILEEN MYLES A COMPARISON by WILLIAM COWPER |
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