The Praise Of Pindar In Imitation Of Horace His Second Ode Book 4

Pindarum quisquis studet oemulari, &c.

I.

Pindar is imitable by none;

The phoenix Pindar is a vast species alone.

Whoe’er but Daedalus with waxen wings could fly

And neither sink too low nor soar too high?

What could he who followed claim

But of vain boldness the unhappy fame,

And by his fall a sea to name?

Pindar’s unnavigable song,

Like a swollen flood from some steep mountain, pours along;

The ocean meets with such a voice

From his enlarged mouth as drowns the ocean’s noise.

II.

So Pindar does new words and figures roll

Down his impetuous dithyrambic tide,

Which in no channel deigns to abide,

Which neither banks nor dikes control.

Whether the immortal gods he sings

In a no less immortal strain,

Or the great acts of god-descended kings,

Who in his numbers still survive and reign,

Each rich embroidered line,

Which their triumphant brows around

By his sacred hand is bound,

Does all their starry diadems outshine.

III.

Whether at Pisa’s race he please

To carve in polished verse the conquerors’ images,

Whether the swift, the skillful, or the strong

Be crowned in his nimble, artful, vigorous song,

Whether some brave young man’s untimely fate

In words worth dying for he celebrate,

Such mournful and such pleasing words

As joy to his mother’s and his mistress’ grief affords,

He bids him live and grow in fame;

Among the stars he sticks his name;

The grave can but the dross of him devour,

So small is death’s, so great the poet’s power.

Lo, how the obsequious wind and swelling air

The Theban swan does upwards bear

Into the walks of clouds, where he does play,

And with extended wings opens his liquid way,

Whilst, alas, my timorous Muse

Unambitious tracks pursues;

Does, with weak, unballast wings,

About the mossy brooks and springs,

About the trees’ new-blossomed heads,

About the gardens’ painted beds,

About the fields and flowery meads,

And all inferior beauteous things,

Like the laborious bee,

For little drops of honey flee,

And there with humble sweets contents her industry.

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• Roar Shack poem – Alice Fulton by Poetry In English
• Physically Hearted by Poetry In English
• On The Conduct Of The World Seeking Beauty Against Government poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
• Not my poem by Poetry In English
• My Sad Self poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
• Mugging (I) poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
• Millions of Us poem – Alice Notley by Poetry In English
• Meaning of silence-ness. by Poetry In English
• Making The Lion For All It’s Got — A Ballad poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
• Kraj Majales (King Of May) poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
• Kraj Majales (King Of May) poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
• It Would poem – Alice Notley by Poetry In English
• Industrial Lace poem – Alice Fulton by Poetry In English
• I the People poem – Alice Notley by Poetry In English
• Human Tendency by Poetry In English
• Gift poem – Alice Notley by Poetry In English
• Feast of the Eyes by Poetry In English
• City of My Childhood by Poetry In English
• Cezanne’s Ports poem – Allen Ginsberg by Poetry In English
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