Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Poem
February 18, 1786
Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A poem addressed to fair ladies, acknowledging their power to captivate hearts with beauty but advising them to use sweetness and art to retain lovers' affections, rather than merely ensnaring them.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Parnassian Spring.
To the LADIES.
Ye fair, possess'd of ev'ry charm
To captivate the will,
Whose smiles can rage itself disarm.
Whose frowns, at once, can kill;
Say, will you deign the verse to hear,
Where flattery bears no part?
An honest verse that flows sincere
And candid from the heart.
Great is your pow'r, but greater yet
Mankind it might engage,
If, as ye all can make a net,
Ye all could make a cage.
Each nymph a thousand hearts may take;
For who's to beauty blind?
But to what end a pris'ner make,
Unless you've strength to bind?
Attend the counsel often told,
Too often told in vain;
Learn that best art, the art to hold,
And back the lover's chain.
Gam'rs to little purpose win,
Who lose again as fast:
Though beauty may the charm begin,
'Tis sweetness makes it last.
To the LADIES.
Ye fair, possess'd of ev'ry charm
To captivate the will,
Whose smiles can rage itself disarm.
Whose frowns, at once, can kill;
Say, will you deign the verse to hear,
Where flattery bears no part?
An honest verse that flows sincere
And candid from the heart.
Great is your pow'r, but greater yet
Mankind it might engage,
If, as ye all can make a net,
Ye all could make a cage.
Each nymph a thousand hearts may take;
For who's to beauty blind?
But to what end a pris'ner make,
Unless you've strength to bind?
Attend the counsel often told,
Too often told in vain;
Learn that best art, the art to hold,
And back the lover's chain.
Gam'rs to little purpose win,
Who lose again as fast:
Though beauty may the charm begin,
'Tis sweetness makes it last.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Love Courtship
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Ladies
Beauty
Love
Advice
Sweetness
Hearts
Captivate
Poem Details
Title
Parnassian Spring.
Subject
To The Ladies
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
Ye Fair, Possess'd Of Ev'ry Charm
To Captivate The Will,
Whose Smiles Can Rage Itself Disarm.
Whose Frowns, At Once, Can Kill;
Learn That Best Art, The Art To Hold,
And Back The Lover's Chain.
Though Beauty May The Charm Begin,
'Tis Sweetness Makes It Last.