Sonnet Addressed To William Hayley, Esq.

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



Hayley, thy tenderness fraternal shown
In our first interview, delightful guest!
To Mary and me for her dear sake distressed,
Such as it is has made my heart thy own,
Though heedless now of new engagements grown,
For threescore winters make a wintry breast,
And I had purposed ne'er to go in quest
Of Friendship more, except with God alone.
But thou hast won me; nor is God my foe,
Who, ere this last afflictive scene began,
Sent thee to mitigate the dreadful blow,
My brother, by whose sympathy I know
Thy true deserts infallibly to scan,
Not more to admire the bard than love the man.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
61

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDCCDD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 581
Words 109
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

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