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A poem by Richard Lovelace |
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The Ant |
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Title: The Ant Author: Richard Lovelace [More Titles by Lovelace] <1> I. Forbear, thou great good husband, little ant; II. Cease, large example of wise thrift, awhile III. LUCASTA, she that holy makes the day, IV. Austere and cynick! not one hour t' allow, V. Look up then, miserable ant, and spie VI. Thus we unt[h]rifty thrive within earth's tomb
Notes: <1> A writer in CENSURA LITERARIA, x. 292 (first edit.)--the late E. V. Utterson, Esq.--highly praises this little poem, and says that it is not unworthy of Cowper. I think it highly probable that the translation from Martial (lib. vi. Ep. 15), at the end of the present volume, was executed prior to the composition of these lines; and that the latter were suggested by the former. Compare the beautiful description of the ant in the PROVERBS OF SOLOMON:--"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.--PROVERBS, vi. 6-8. In the poems of John Cleveland, 1669, is a piece entitled "Fuscara, or the Bee Errant," which is of a somewhat similar character, and is by no means a contemptible production, though spoiled by that LUES ALCHYMISTICA which disfigures so much of the poetry of Cleveland's time. The abilities of Cleveland as a writer seem to have been underrated by posterity, in proportion to the undue praise lavished upon him by his contemporaries. <2> The Floralia, games antiently celebrated at Rome in honour of Flora. <3> Here used for DEAD OR FADED VEGETATION, but strictly it means DEAD OR FADED LEAF. FILEMORT is another form of the same word. <4> Original has HER. <5> Original reads ANTS. <6> Original reads HAWKS. [The end] GO TO TOP OF SCREEN |