Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PINDARIC ODE: THE RESURRECTION, by ABRAHAM COWLEY


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PINDARIC ODE: THE RESURRECTION, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Not winds to voyagers at sea
Last Line: But flings writer and reader too that sits not sure.
Subject(s): Bible; Religion; Theology


1.

NOT Winds to Voyagers at Sea,
Nor Showers to Earth, more necessary be,
(Heav'n's vital Seed cast on the Womb of Earth
To give the fruitful Year a Birth)
Than Verse to Virtue; which can do
The Midwif's Office, and the Nurses's too;
It feeds it strongly, and it cloaths it gay,
And when it dies, with comely Pride
Embalms it, and erects a Pyramide
That never will decay
'Till Heav'n it self shall melt away,
And nought behind it stay.

2.

Begin the Song, and strike the living Lyre;
Lo how the Years to come, a numerous and well-fitted Quire,
All Hand in Hand do decently advance,
And to my Song with smooth and equal measures dance.
Whilst the Dance lasts, how long so e'er it be,
My Musick's Voice shall bear it company.
'Till all gentle Notes be drown'd
In the last Trumpet's dreadful Sound;
That, to the Spheres themselves, shall Silence bring,
Untune the Universal String.
Then all the wide-extended Sky,
And all th' harmonious Worlds on high,
And Virgil's sacred Work shall die;
And he himself shall see in one Fire shine
Rich Nature's ancient Troy, though built by Hands
Divine.

3

Whom Thunder's dismal Noise,
And all that Prophets and Apostles louder spake,
And all the Creatures' plain-conspiring Voice,
Could not, whilst they liv'd, awake,
This mightier Sound shall make
When Dead t' arise,
And open Tombs, and open Eyes;
To the long Sluggards of five thousand Years.
This mightier Sound shall make its Hearers Ears.
Then shall the scatter'd Atoms crowding come
Back to their ancient home;
Some from Birds, from Fishes some,
Some from Earth, and some from Seas,
Some from Beasts, and some from Trees.
Some descend from Clouds on high,
Some from Metals upwards fly,
And where th' attending Soul naked and shivering stands,
Meet, salute, and join their Hands.
As disperss'd Soldiers at the Trumpet's Call
Haste to their Colours all.
Unhappy most, like tortur'd Men,
Their Joints new set, to be new rackt again.
To Mountains they for Shelter pray,
The Mountains shake, and run about no less confus'd than they.

4.

Stop, stop, my Muse, allay thy vig'rous Heat,
Kindled at a Hint so great.
Hold thy Pindarique Pegasus closely in;
Which does to Rage begin,
And this steep Hill would gallop up with violent course;
'Tis an unruly, and a hard-mouth'd Horse,
Fierce, and unbroken yet,
Impatient of the Spur or Bit;
Now praunces stately, and anon flies o'er the Place;
Disdains the servile Law of any settled Pace;
Conscious and proud of his own natural Force,
'Twill no unskilful Touch endure,
But flings Writer and Reader too that sits not sure.





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