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Poem
November 24, 1774
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
Excerpt from Edward Young's 'Night Thoughts' addressing a sceptic, affirming faith in immortality and eternal renewal beyond death, using nature's cycles as metaphor for divine resurrection and virtue's triumph.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
POET'S CORNER.
An Address to the Sceptic.
From Dr. Young's Night Thoughts.
And dost thou doubt? Let those deplore their doom,
Whose hope still grovels in this dark sojourn;
But lofty souls, who look beyond the tomb,
Can smile at fate, and wonder how they mourn.
Shall spring to these sad scenes no more return?
Is yonder wave the sun's eternal bed?
Soon shall the orient with new lustre burn,
And spring shall soon her vital influence shed;
Again attune the grove, again adorn the mead.
Shall I be left abandoned in the dust,
When fate, relenting, lets the flower revive?
Shall nature's voice, to man alone unjust,
Bid him, though doomed to perish, hope to live?
Is it for this fair virtue oft must strive
With disappointment, penury, and pain?
No: Heaven's immortal spring shall yet arrive,
And man's majestic beauty bloom again,
Bright thro' th' eternal year of love's triumphant reign.
An Address to the Sceptic.
From Dr. Young's Night Thoughts.
And dost thou doubt? Let those deplore their doom,
Whose hope still grovels in this dark sojourn;
But lofty souls, who look beyond the tomb,
Can smile at fate, and wonder how they mourn.
Shall spring to these sad scenes no more return?
Is yonder wave the sun's eternal bed?
Soon shall the orient with new lustre burn,
And spring shall soon her vital influence shed;
Again attune the grove, again adorn the mead.
Shall I be left abandoned in the dust,
When fate, relenting, lets the flower revive?
Shall nature's voice, to man alone unjust,
Bid him, though doomed to perish, hope to live?
Is it for this fair virtue oft must strive
With disappointment, penury, and pain?
No: Heaven's immortal spring shall yet arrive,
And man's majestic beauty bloom again,
Bright thro' th' eternal year of love's triumphant reign.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Religious Faith
Death Mourning
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Sceptic
Doubt
Immortality
Afterlife
Divine Renewal
Night Thoughts
Edward Young
What entities or persons were involved?
From Dr. Young's Night Thoughts.
Poem Details
Title
An Address To The Sceptic.
Author
From Dr. Young's Night Thoughts.
Subject
Address To The Sceptic
Form / Style
Heroic Couplets
Key Lines
And Dost Thou Doubt? Let Those Deplore Their Doom,
Whose Hope Still Grovels In This Dark Sojourn;
No: Heaven's Immortal Spring Shall Yet Arrive,
And Man's Majestic Beauty Bloom Again,
Bright Thro' Th' Eternal Year Of Love's Triumphant Reign.