Poems

A selection of poems notable for frequency of appearance, significance to their miscellany context, or meta-reflection on the subject of compiling a poetry book

Displaying 26–50 poems out of 193 total

Search for keywords within first line, transcription, description, or author name. For exact phrases, use quotation marks (e.g. “A knife dear girl”)

First Line Author Description Manuscripts
Clio, behold this charming Day Sir Charles Hanbury Williams

Occasional (marriage) [Celebrities].

Transcribed from Hanbury-Williams, Charles, An ode to the honourable H—y F—x, on the marriage of the Du—s of M—r to H[u—s—y, Esq, 1746. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0110083728. 

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Come melancholy! Silent pow’r Elizabeth Carter

Occasional [Death, afterlife; Passions, sentiments]

Transcribed from Commonplace Books, Vol. 2. Early Modern English Manuscripts, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, Calisphere. https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/21198/n1ns42/?order=17

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Could but our tempers move like this machine

Ode [Passions, Sentiments; Conduct, morality].

Transcribed from Hall, T., "On a Watch." The London Magazine and monthly chronologer, vol. 9, March 1740, p. 146. British Periodicals, [ProQuest Document ID:] 5318929.

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Cries Celia to a reverend Dean Robert Dodsley

Epigram [Marriage, courtship; Humour].

Transcribed from "An Epigram." Gentleman's Magazine: and historical chronicle, vol. 7, January 1737, p. 50. British Periodicals, [ProQuest document ID:] 8362264. 

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Dear Cloe, while the busy croud Nathaniel Cotton

Lyric [Domestic Life; Solitude, loneliness, retirement; Courtship, marriage]. 

Transcribed from "The FIRE-SIDE." London magazine, or, Gentleman's monthly intelligencer, vol. 18, May 1749, pp. 233–234. ProQuest, [ProQuest document ID:] 5227580. 

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Dear Mem'ry, guardian of each past delight Melesina Chenevix Trench

Occasional (leaving Llangollen) [Friendship]; original. 

Transcribed from "Sonnet. On leaving the cottage of Lady E— B— and Miss P—." Mary Queen of Scots, an historical ballad; with Other Poems. By a lady, 1800, p. 83. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0110634998. 

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Dear Peggy, since the single state Esther Lewis Clark

Epistle [Courtship, marriage; Domestic life; Conduct, morality]. 

Transcribed from "A Young Lady's Advice to One Lately Married." The Gentleman's Magazine: and historical chronicle, vol. 22, May 1752, p. 234. ProQuest, [ProQuest document ID:] 8521620.

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Deign, gracious God, to hear my feeble lays

Prayer [Devotional writing, religious belief; Death, afterlife].

Transcribed from The Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 17 April 1747, p. 193. British Periodicals, [ProQuest document ID:] 8743041. 

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Despairing, beside a clear Stream Nicholas Rowe

Pastoral [Love].

Transcribed from Rowe, N, "Colin's Complaint." Poems and translations. By Several Hands... 1714, pp. 88–91. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0111590501. 

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Father of All! in every Age Alexander Pope

Prayer [Devotional writing, religious belief]. 

Transcribed from Pope, Alexander. "The Universal Prayer." The works of Alexander Pope, Esq; Vol. II. Part II. Containing all such pieces of this author... vol. 2, 1738, pp. 160–162. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CB0130530467.

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FLAVIA. The wretched Flavia on her couch reclin'd, Mary Wortley Montagu 1
Forc'd from home, and all its pleasures, William Cowper 2
Friend, Sister, Partner of that gentle Heart John Langhorne

Occasional [Courtship, marriage].

Transcribed from Langhorne, John. Precepts of conjugal happiness. Addressed to a lady on her marriage, 1767. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0116666673.

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From Frozen Climes and Endless Tracts of Snow Ambrose Philips

Epistle; Lyric [Nature].

Transcribed from Philips, Ambrose. "To the Earl of Dorset." The Tatler, vol. 1, 1709. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0114815140.

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From happy Climes where Vertue never dyes William Meston

Essay [Public affairs; Historical figures; Literature].

Transcribed from Meston, William. Cato's Ghost, London, 1715. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0110407549.

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From Me, Dear Charles, inspir’d with Ale William Tunstall

Ballad [Satire - political]. 

Transcribed from Tunstall, William. “From W.T. in the Marshalsea to C.W. in Newgate. Tune, To all ye Ladies,” Ballads and some other occasional poems: by W— T— in the Marshalsea, 1716. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0111122160. 

 3
Gentle breath of melting sorrow Sarah Wesley

Ode [Love].

Transcribed from Folger M.a. 182 p. 61. 

 4
God bless the King! (I mean our faith's defender!) John Byrom

Epigram.

Transcribed from Miscellaneous Poems, printed by J. Harrop, Manchester, 1773.

 2
God prosper long our gracious King,/ Now sitting on the Throne

Ode; Imitation, parody [Public affairs; Satire - political].

Transcribed from "An Ode for the New Year." Downie, J.A., "Pope, Swift, and An Ode for the New Year," The Review of English Studies New Series, vol. 32, no. 126 (May, 1981), pp. 163–164. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/514133.

 2
God prosper long our noble King/ our lives and safeties all

Ballad [Historical subjects; Public affairs; Death, afterlife]. 

Transcribed from An Unhappy Memorable Song, of the Hunting in Chevy-chase, between Earl Piercy of England, and Earl Dowglas of Scotland. Tune Flying Fame, c1701. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CB0131111866. 

Note: This record only accounts for copies of the traditional ballad. Variants and satirical adaptations of "Chevy Chase" are extremely popular with manuscript verse miscellany compilers.

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Goddess of golden dreams, whose magic pow'r Charles Jenner

Elegy [Conduct, morality; Passions].

Transcribed from Jenner, Charles, "Castle-Building; An Elegy." The placid man: or, memoirs of Sir Charles Beville. In two volumes... vol. 2, 1770, pp. 85–91. Eighteenth-Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0109097133. 

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Great Edmund hoarse, you say the reason clear; Hannah More 1
Hail artless Simplicity, beautiful maid, Hannah More

Lyric [Passions, Sentiments][Domestic life]

Transcribed from Commonplace Books, Vol. 1. Early Modern English Manuscripts, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, Calisphere. Item ID 21198/n1461d

 2
Hail, happy bride! for thou art truly blest Mary Wortley Montagu

Epitaph [Satire - social; Courtship, marriage; Women]. 

Transcribed from Lady M.W.M. "On the same Occasion. Written extempore." A collection of epigrams. . . 1727, p. 24. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0110240627.

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Hard is the task my friend to me has giv’n William Heath Marsh

Occasional [Literature; Friendship].

Transcribed from "To Mrs: Blofeld who requested me to Write some lines but refused to give me a subject." Marsh, William Heath. UChicago Library Codex Ms 529 vol. 2 pp. 75–76.

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