The Ghost: Book III (excerpt)

Charles Churchill 1731 (Westminster) – 1764 (Boulogne-sur-Mer)



...
     Horrid, unwieldly, without form,
  Savage, as ocean in a storm,
  Of size prodigious, in the rear,
  That post of honour, should appear
  Pomposo; fame around should tell
  How he a slave to int'rest fell,
  How, for integrity renown'd,
  Which booksellers have often found,
  He for subscribers baits his hook,
  And takes their cash--but where's the book?
  No matter where--wise fear, we know,
  Forbids the robbing of a foe;
  But what, to serve our private ends,
  Forbids the cheating of our friends?
  No man alive, who would not swear
  All's safe, and therefore honest there.
  For, spite of all the learned say,
  If we to truth attention pay,
  The word dishonesty is meant
  For nothing else but punishment.
  Fame too should tell, nor heed the threat
  Of rogues, who brother rogues abet,
  Nor tremble at the terrors hung
  Aloft, to make her hold her tongue,
  How to all principles untrue,
  Nor fix'd to old friends, nor to new,
  He damns the pension which he takes,
  And loves the Stuart he forsakes.
  Nature (who justly regular,
  Is very seldom known to err,
  But now and then in sportive mood,
  As some rude wits have understood,
  Or through much work requir'd in haste,
  Is with a random stroke disgrac'd)
  Pomposo form'd on doubtful plan,
  Not quite a beast, nor quite a man,
  Like--God knows what--for never yet
  Could the most subtle human wit
  Find out a monster which might be
  The shadow of a simile.
...

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 15, 2023

1:15 min read
52

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJKLLMMNNOGPHQRSSTTLUVC
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,421
Words 244
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 42

Charles Churchill

Lieutenant General Charles Churchill was a British Army General and a Member of Parliament. more…

All Charles Churchill poems | Charles Churchill Books

0 fans

Discuss the poem The Ghost: Book III (excerpt) with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Ghost: Book III (excerpt)" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/5072/the-ghost:-book-iii-(excerpt)>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    11
    days
    18
    hours
    57
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    William Blake: "Tiger Tiger, burning bright, In the forests of the _________".
    A knight
    B fight
    C night
    D bites