The nine [muses] may "vindicate [sensibility's] empire o'er the mind"
— Hayley, William (1745-1820)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed by and for J. Seagrave; And Sold by T. Payne
Date
1804
Metaphor
The nine [muses] may "vindicate [sensibility's] empire o'er the mind"
Metaphor in Context
BLEST sensibility! thou gift benign!
Infus'd by nature in the poet's frame!
Fair particle of rich Promethean flame!
The sacred fire! round whose soft light, the Nine
Move to sweet music, from their fav'rite shrine,
The heart of genius!--They, with vestal aim,
Feed thy pure blaze, and all its charms proclaim,
Its heavenly source, and destiny divine.
They, when presumptuous pity, rash, and blind,
Laments thy influence, with blame not slight,
As life's insidious foe, tho' seeming kind;
They vindicate thy empire o'er the mind,
Thou tender guardian in this vale of night!
Whose sighs are comfort, and whose tears delight!
Infus'd by nature in the poet's frame!
Fair particle of rich Promethean flame!
The sacred fire! round whose soft light, the Nine
Move to sweet music, from their fav'rite shrine,
The heart of genius!--They, with vestal aim,
Feed thy pure blaze, and all its charms proclaim,
Its heavenly source, and destiny divine.
They, when presumptuous pity, rash, and blind,
Laments thy influence, with blame not slight,
As life's insidious foe, tho' seeming kind;
They vindicate thy empire o'er the mind,
Thou tender guardian in this vale of night!
Whose sighs are comfort, and whose tears delight!
Categories
Provenance
Searching "empire" and "mind" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Text from The Triumph of Music; a Poem: in Six Cantos (Printed by and for J. Seagrave; And Sold by T. Payne, 1804). <Link to Google Books>
Date of Entry
08/11/2004
