"Your Hearts, as barren as your Rocks and Sand, / Her Charms and pow'rful Influence withstand; / Whose heav'nly Rays defeated thence recoil, / Like Sun-Beams wasted on unfruitful Soil."

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Sam. Buckley
Date
1711
Metaphor
"Your Hearts, as barren as your Rocks and Sand, / Her Charms and pow'rful Influence withstand; / Whose heav'nly Rays defeated thence recoil, / Like Sun-Beams wasted on unfruitful Soil."
Metaphor in Context
And hence, ye various Nations dull of Thought,
To near the Solar Orb, or too remote,
Stupid of Mind, and obstinate of Will,
Unconscious of the Rules of Good and Ill,
Rarely your Souls to pious Acts incline,
Or feel th' impulsive Force of Light Divine:
Obdurate, rarely in your yielding Breast,
You entertain the Beatifick Guest.
Your Hearts, as barren as your Rocks and Sand,
Her Charms and pow'rful Influence withstand;
Whose heav'nly Rays defeated thence recoil,
Like Sun-Beams wasted on unfruitful Soil.
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
At least 2 entries in the ESTC (1711, 1720)

Richard Blackmore, The Nature of Man. A Poem. In Three Books. (London: Sam. Buckley, 1711). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
03/13/2006

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