"Whence Order, Elegance, and Beauty move / Each finer sense, that tunes the Mind to Love; / Whence all that Harmony and Fire that join, / To form a Temper, and a Soul like thine."

— Carter, Elizabeth (1717-1806)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
John Rivington
Date
1762
Metaphor
"Whence Order, Elegance, and Beauty move / Each finer sense, that tunes the Mind to Love; / Whence all that Harmony and Fire that join, / To form a Temper, and a Soul like thine."
Metaphor in Context
To calm Philosophy I next retire,
And seek the Joys her sacred Arts inspire,
Renounce the Frolics of unthinking Youth,
To court the more engaging Charms of Truth:
With Plato soar on Comtemplation's Wing,
And trace Perfection to th' eternal Spring:
Observe the vital Emanations flow,
That animate each fair Degree below:
Whence Order, Elegance, and Beauty move
Each finer sense, that tunes the Mind to Love;
Whence all that Harmony and Fire that join,
To form a Temper, and a Soul like thine
.

Thus thro' each diff'rent Track my Thoughts pursue,
Thy lov'd Idea ever meets my View.
Of ev'ry Joy, of ev’ry wish a Part,
And rules each varying Motion of my Heart.
(ll. 33-47, p. 14)
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Later titled "To Miss Lynch." At least 5 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1762, 1766, 1776, 1777, 1789)

See Poems on Several Occasions. (London: Printed for John Rivington, at the Bible and Crown in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, 1762). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO><Link 2nd edition in Google Books>

See also Elizabeth Carter, Memoirs of the Life of Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, with a New Edition of her Poems, Ed. Montagu Pennington, 2 vols. (London: F.C. and J. Rivington, 1816). <Link to WWO><Same edition in Internet Archive>
Date of Entry
06/23/2011

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.