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Literary
January 19, 1798
Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
What is this article about?
A poem titled 'THE SEASONS' personifies winter as Phocion, contrasting the cycles of seasons with irreversible human aging, urging the reader to seize youth and pursue fame to avoid regret and shame.
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Full Text
THE SEASONS.
PHOCION, the Winter's shivering reign,
With snowy mountains heaps the plain,
And binds the rolling sea;
But soon the sun's enliv'ning beam,
Shall glance along the yielding stream,
And melt the snows away.
Soon as the sultry summer's heat,
The Autumn triumphs in its seat,
And Winter's hoary head
Hangs in the rear; but on the Spring,
Soft gliding on a Zephyr's wing,
Comes blooming youth in gaudy dress,
But wrinkled brow's and silver'd hair
Know no return; the rolling year
But still uncircl'd remains;
And oils and laudanum vainly try
To turn the white unwelcome dye:
To nature black again.
Then, Phocion, wake thy gen'rous soul;
Seize the bright minutes as they roll,
And load them out with fame;
Nor mingle with the wretched crowd,
That headlong rush the downward road
To darkness, woe and shame.
Heaven loves to see a youthful mind;
(But oh! 'tis difficult to find!)
Lest aged in the shining snare;
And while young devotion more
Than if a tot'rer at your door,
Could beg an age in prayer.
SCIPIO. No. XI.
PHOCION, the Winter's shivering reign,
With snowy mountains heaps the plain,
And binds the rolling sea;
But soon the sun's enliv'ning beam,
Shall glance along the yielding stream,
And melt the snows away.
Soon as the sultry summer's heat,
The Autumn triumphs in its seat,
And Winter's hoary head
Hangs in the rear; but on the Spring,
Soft gliding on a Zephyr's wing,
Comes blooming youth in gaudy dress,
But wrinkled brow's and silver'd hair
Know no return; the rolling year
But still uncircl'd remains;
And oils and laudanum vainly try
To turn the white unwelcome dye:
To nature black again.
Then, Phocion, wake thy gen'rous soul;
Seize the bright minutes as they roll,
And load them out with fame;
Nor mingle with the wretched crowd,
That headlong rush the downward road
To darkness, woe and shame.
Heaven loves to see a youthful mind;
(But oh! 'tis difficult to find!)
Lest aged in the shining snare;
And while young devotion more
Than if a tot'rer at your door,
Could beg an age in prayer.
SCIPIO. No. XI.
What sub-type of article is it?
Poem
Allegory
What themes does it cover?
Seasonal Cycle
Death Mortality
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Seasons
Winter
Aging
Youth
Carpe Diem
Phocion
Moral Advice
What entities or persons were involved?
Scipio. No. Xi.
Literary Details
Title
The Seasons.
Author
Scipio. No. Xi.
Key Lines
Phocion, The Winter's Shivering Reign,
With Snowy Mountains Heaps The Plain,
And Binds The Rolling Sea;
But Wrinkled Brow's And Silver'd Hair
Know No Return; The Rolling Year
But Still Uncircl'd Remains;
Then, Phocion, Wake Thy Gen'rous Soul;
Seize The Bright Minutes As They Roll,
And Load Them Out With Fame;