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Poem
January 6, 1800
Jenks's Portland Gazette
Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
What is this article about?
Personified Rumour describes traveling the world, spreading false reports in every language, feigning peace while fostering enmity, and inciting fear of war among the discordant multitude through surmises and conjectures.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
FROM the orient to the drooping west,
Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold
The acts commenced on this ball of earth;
Upon my tongues continual slanders ride,
The which in every language I pronounce;
Stunning the ears of men with false reports.
I speak of peace while covert enmity,
Under the smile of safety, wounds the world.
And who but Rumour, who but only I,
Make fearful musters and prepared defence,
Whilst the big year, swoln with some other griefs,
Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war,
And no such matter! Rumour is a pipe
Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures;
And of so easy and so plain a stop,
That the blunt monster with uncounted heads,
The still-discordant wavering multitude,
Can play upon it.
Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold
The acts commenced on this ball of earth;
Upon my tongues continual slanders ride,
The which in every language I pronounce;
Stunning the ears of men with false reports.
I speak of peace while covert enmity,
Under the smile of safety, wounds the world.
And who but Rumour, who but only I,
Make fearful musters and prepared defence,
Whilst the big year, swoln with some other griefs,
Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war,
And no such matter! Rumour is a pipe
Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures;
And of so easy and so plain a stop,
That the blunt monster with uncounted heads,
The still-discordant wavering multitude,
Can play upon it.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
What themes does it cover?
War Military
Political
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Rumour
False Reports
Covert Enmity
Tyrant War
Wavering Multitude
Poem Details
Subject
Personification Of Rumour
Key Lines
And Who But Rumour, Who But Only I,
I Speak Of Peace While Covert Enmity,
Rumour Is A Pipe
Blown By Surmises, Jealousies, Conjectures;
That The Blunt Monster With Uncounted Heads,
The Still Discordant Wavering Multitude,
Can Play Upon It.