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Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

Solitude: An Ode


I
              1How happy he, who free from care
              2The rage of courts, and noise of towns;
              3Contented breaths his native air,
              4            In his own grounds.

II
              5Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
              6Whose flocks supply him with attire,
              7Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
              8            In winter fire.

III
              9Blest! who can unconcern'dly find
            10Hours, days, and years slide swift away,
            11In health of body, peace of mind,
            12            Quiet by day,

IV
            13Sound sleep by night; study and ease
            14Together mix'd; sweet recreation,
            15And innocence, which most does please,
            16            With meditation.

V
            17Thus let me live, unheard, unknown;
            18Thus unlamented let me dye;
            19Steal from the world, and not a stone
            20            Tell where I lye.

Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text: Pope's Own Miscellany Being a Reprint of Poems on Several Occasions 1717 containing new poems by Alexander Pope and others, ed. Norman Ault (London: Nonsuch Press, 1935): 82-83. PR 1215 P66 1935 Robarts Library.
First publication date: 1717
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 2000.
Recent editing: 4:2002/4/15

Composition date: 1700
Composition date note: Composed when Pope was not yet 12 years old. See Alexander Pope, Minor Poems, ed. Norman Ault and John Butt (London: Methuen, 1954): 4 (PR 3621 B82 Robarts Library)
Form: Horatian Ode
Rhyme: abab

Other poems by Alexander Pope

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