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Poem
January 3, 1777
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
A reflective poem on the swift passage of time, the brevity of life, impending death, and the urgency to use the present wisely for eternal happiness.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
On
TIME.
I mark how swift these precious moments fly!
Like man, no sooner are they born than die.
Then snatch this prize! O! grasp this noble store!
Remember, time once lost is time no more.
And since time's wheel so rapidly doth run,
Reflect how soon the thread of life is spun.
How soon death comes! the common lot to man,
Ere nature's measure's out her given span.
O! think, on this depends (therefore no longer wait)
Thy future happiness, thy everlasting fate.
Then use the present as if 'twas thy last,
And then with pleasure thou shalt view the past.
TIME.
I mark how swift these precious moments fly!
Like man, no sooner are they born than die.
Then snatch this prize! O! grasp this noble store!
Remember, time once lost is time no more.
And since time's wheel so rapidly doth run,
Reflect how soon the thread of life is spun.
How soon death comes! the common lot to man,
Ere nature's measure's out her given span.
O! think, on this depends (therefore no longer wait)
Thy future happiness, thy everlasting fate.
Then use the present as if 'twas thy last,
And then with pleasure thou shalt view the past.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Death Mourning
What keywords are associated?
Time Passage
Life Brevity
Death Reflection
Moral Urgency
Eternal Fate
Poem Details
Title
On Time.
Subject
Reflection On Time And Mortality
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
I Mark How Swift These Precious Moments Fly! Like Man, No Sooner Are They Born Than Die.
Remember, Time Once Lost Is Time No More.
O! Think, On This Depends (Therefore No Longer Wait) Thy Future Happiness, Thy Everlasting Fate.
Then Use The Present As If 'Twas Thy Last, And Then With Pleasure Thou Shalt View The Past.