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Poem
May 11, 1786
Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A lyrical poem gifting spring flowers to a young lady, likening their qualities—blushes for modesty, lilies for purity, azure bloom for constancy—to her virtues of natural beauty, unaffected ease, and steadfast affection.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Parnassian Spring
To a Young LADY, with some FLOWERS.
To thee, sweet smiling maid, I bring
The beauteous progeny of Spring:
In every breathing bloom I find
Some pleasing emblem of thy mind.
The blushes of that opening rose
Thy tender modesty disclose.
These snow white lilies of the vale
Diffusing fragrance to the gale,
No ostentatious tints assume,
Vain of their exquisite perfume;
Careless, and sweet, and mild, we see
In them a lovely type of thee.
In yonder gay enamel'd field,
Serene that azure bloom smil'd:
Nor changing with the changeful sky,
Its faithless tints inconstant fly;
For, unimpair'd by winds and rain,
I saw the unalter'd hue remain.
So were the mild affections prov'd.
Thy heart by Fortune's frown unmov'd,
Pleas'd to administer relief,
In times of woe would solace grief.
These flowers with genuine beauty glow;
The tints from Nature's pencil flow:
What artist could improve their bloom?
Or sweeter make their perfume?
Fruitless the vain attempt. Like these
Thy native truth, thine artless ease,
Fair unaffected maid, can never fail to please.
To a Young LADY, with some FLOWERS.
To thee, sweet smiling maid, I bring
The beauteous progeny of Spring:
In every breathing bloom I find
Some pleasing emblem of thy mind.
The blushes of that opening rose
Thy tender modesty disclose.
These snow white lilies of the vale
Diffusing fragrance to the gale,
No ostentatious tints assume,
Vain of their exquisite perfume;
Careless, and sweet, and mild, we see
In them a lovely type of thee.
In yonder gay enamel'd field,
Serene that azure bloom smil'd:
Nor changing with the changeful sky,
Its faithless tints inconstant fly;
For, unimpair'd by winds and rain,
I saw the unalter'd hue remain.
So were the mild affections prov'd.
Thy heart by Fortune's frown unmov'd,
Pleas'd to administer relief,
In times of woe would solace grief.
These flowers with genuine beauty glow;
The tints from Nature's pencil flow:
What artist could improve their bloom?
Or sweeter make their perfume?
Fruitless the vain attempt. Like these
Thy native truth, thine artless ease,
Fair unaffected maid, can never fail to please.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Love Courtship
Nature Seasons
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Spring Flowers
Young Lady
Modesty
Purity
Constancy
Natural Beauty
Virtue
Poem Details
Title
Parnassian Spring
Subject
To A Young Lady, With Some Flowers.
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
To Thee, Sweet Smiling Maid, I Bring
The Beauteous Progeny Of Spring:
In Every Breathing Bloom I Find
Some Pleasing Emblem Of Thy Mind.
The Blushes Of That Opening Rose
Thy Tender Modesty Disclose.
These Snow White Lilies Of The Vale
Diffusing Fragrance To The Gale,
No Ostentatious Tints Assume,
Vain Of Their Exquisite Perfume;
So Were The Mild Affections Prov'd.
Thy Heart By Fortune's Frown Unmov'd,
Pleas'd To Administer Relief,
In Times Of Woe Would Solace Grief.
Fair Unaffected Maid, Can Never Fail To Please.