Ode To Adversity Poem by John Gay

Ode To Adversity

Rating: 3.1


Daughter of Heav'n, relentless pow'r,
Thou tamer of the human breast,
Whose iron scourge, and tort'ring hour,
The bad affright, afflict the best!
Bound in thy adamantine chain,
The proud are taught to taste of pain,
And purple tyrants vainly groan
With pangs unfelt before, unpitied and alone.

When first thy sire to send on earth
Virtue, his darling child, design'd,
To thee he gave the heavn'ly birth,
And bade to form her infant mind.
Stern rugged nurse! thy rigid lore
With patience many a year she bore.
What sorrow was, thou bad'st her know;
And from her she learn'd to melt at others' wo.

Scar'd at thy frown terrific, fly
Self-pleasing folly's idle brood,
Wild laughter, noise, and thoughtless joy,
And leave us leisure to be good.
Light they disperse; and with them go
The summer-friend, the flatt'ring foe.
By vain prosperity receiv'd,
To her they vow their truth, and are again believ'd.

Wisdom, in sable garb array'd,
Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound,
And melancholy, silent maid,
With leaden eye that loves the ground,
Still on thy solemn steps attend;
Warm charity, the gen'ral friend,
With justice to herself severe,
And pity, dropping soft the sadly-pleasing tear.

Oh, gently, on the suppliant's head,
Dread pow'r lay thy chast'ning hand!
Not in thy gorgon terrors clad,
Nor circled with the vengeful band,
(As by the impious thou art seen,)
With thund'ring voice, and threat'ning mien,
With screaming horror's fun'ral cry,
Despair, and fell disease, and ghastly poverty.

Thy form benign, propitious, wear,
Thy milder influence impart;
Thy philosophic train be there,
To soften, not to wound my heart.
The gen'rous spark extinct revive:
Teach me to love, and to forgive;
Exact my own defects to scan;
What others are to feel; and know myself a man.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 10 November 2015

These are my favorite lines: To soften, not to wound my heart. The gen'rous spark extinct revive: Teach me to love, and to forgive;

20 0 Reply
Derek Cooplanca 21 May 2013

hahahhahahahahahahahaahahah this poem is crappy hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaaaa trolololololololololololololololoololololololololololloolololololololololol hahahaahahaaaaa

2 2 Reply
Derek Cooplanca 21 May 2013

hahahhahahahahahahahaahahah this poem is crappy hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaaaa

1 2 Reply
Seema Jayaraman 10 November 2015

Nothing like adversity to bring out the best in oneself..lovely ode, intense with so many hidden insights and meanings. Must re-read and read. thanks for sharing.

2 0 Reply
Hans Vr 10 November 2015

Adversity let us appreciate more the peace, gives us wonderful lessons in humility. But I would not adore it like this in an ode, for if we remain focused on the good, the universe tends to works with us and adversity sometimes remains at bay for long.

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Dr Dillip K Swain 30 March 2023

The lines like, "The gen'rous spark extinct revive /Teach me to love, and to forgive" and "Exact my own defects to scan/What others are to feel; and know myself a man"…. are precious substances of veneration.

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Dr Dillip K Swain 30 March 2023

A great ode to adversity! Hardship teaches us many lessons unfolding the peculiar cases and limitations that you failed to experience before. Consequently it has a great merit that increases self-awareness by offering new choices to think, and act judiciously.

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Mahtab Bangalee 14 December 2019

Wisdom, in sable garb array'd, Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound, And melancholy, silent maid, With leaden eye that loves the ground, //// superb and profound writings

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Kingsley Egbukole 14 December 2019

A beautiful piece. Well articulated.

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Edward Kofi Louis 14 December 2019

Rigid lore! ! The taste of pain! Dispair! ! ! ! Ghastly poverty; Chain of life, The cry! ! ! No gain. Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

0 0 Reply
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John Gay

John Gay

Barnstaple, England
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