Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Poem
September 16, 1785
Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Translation from Claudian where Jove, from his throne, laughs at mortals for crafting a miniature cosmos in glass, mimicking divine creation with sun, moon, and stars, likening it to Salmoneus's hubris in imitating thunder.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
The Microcosm, translated from Claudian.
By the same.
As Jove beheld, express'd in glass, appear
The wondrous system of the starry sphere;
With words of laughter, from his throne on high,
He thus accosts his brethren of the sky:
Behold these mortals, beings of an hour,
Burlesque the labours of Almighty Power;
The laws of heav'n, the secrets of the pole,
This prying thief with artful search has stole
A secret soul informs the starry fires,
The whole machine an active power inspires;
A circling sun his annual course pursues,
A little moon her monthly form renews;
Audacious man, exulting in his pride,
Now wields a world his own, and his own stars does guide!
What wonder then Salmoneus should presume
To mimic thunder, and the God assume:
We now behold a new creation plann'd,
And worlds arising from a mortal hand.
By the same.
As Jove beheld, express'd in glass, appear
The wondrous system of the starry sphere;
With words of laughter, from his throne on high,
He thus accosts his brethren of the sky:
Behold these mortals, beings of an hour,
Burlesque the labours of Almighty Power;
The laws of heav'n, the secrets of the pole,
This prying thief with artful search has stole
A secret soul informs the starry fires,
The whole machine an active power inspires;
A circling sun his annual course pursues,
A little moon her monthly form renews;
Audacious man, exulting in his pride,
Now wields a world his own, and his own stars does guide!
What wonder then Salmoneus should presume
To mimic thunder, and the God assume:
We now behold a new creation plann'd,
And worlds arising from a mortal hand.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Satire Society
Science Progress
What keywords are associated?
Microcosm
Claudian
Jove
Starry Sphere
Mortal Audacity
Salmoneus
Creation Mimicry
What entities or persons were involved?
Translated From Claudian. By The Same.
Poem Details
Title
The Microcosm
Author
Translated From Claudian. By The Same.
Subject
Jove Beholding Mortals' Model Of The Heavens
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
Behold These Mortals, Beings Of An Hour,
Burlesque The Labours Of Almighty Power;
Audacious Man, Exulting In His Pride,
Now Wields A World His Own, And His Own Stars Does Guide!
And Worlds Arising From A Mortal Hand.