Skip to content
Linespedia

On A Goldfinch, Starved To Death In His Cage.

By William Cowper

Topics: classic

Time was when I was free as air,     The thistles downy seed my fare,     My drink the morning dew;     I perchd at will on every spray,     My form genteel, my plumage gay,     My strains for ever new.     But gaudy plumage, sprightly strain,     And form genteel were all in vain,     And of a transient date;     For, caught and caged, and starved to death,     In dying sighs my little breath     Soon passd the wiry grate.     Thanks, gentle swain, for all my woes,     And thanks for this effectual close     And cure of every ill!     More cruelty could none express;     And I, if you had shown me less,     Had been your prisoner still.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"Time was when I was free as air,..."

This evocative piece by William Cowper, titled "On A Goldfinch, Starved To Death In His Cage.", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:William Cowper

"Time was when I was free as air,..." by William Cowper

For usage rights, copyright concerns, or to report an issue with this content, please visit our Copyright & Report page.

Related lines

"Christina, maiden of heroic mien!     Star of the North! of northern stars the queen!     Behold, what wrinkles I have earn'd, and how     The"

"Close by the threshold of a door naild fast     Three kittens sat; each kitten lookd aghast.     I, passing swift and inattentive by,     At"

"Two nymphs, both nearly of an age,     Of numerous charms possessd,     A warm dispute once chanced to wage,     Whose temper was the best."

"Too many, Lord, abuse thy grace,     In this licentious day;     And while they boast they see thy face,     They turn their own away.     T"

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

William Cowper

About William Cowper

William Cowper (1731–1800) was an English poet and hymnodist whose work bridges the gap between the Augustan age and Romanticism. His poems "The Task" and "John Gilpin" were enormously popular, and his hymn "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" remains widely sung.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

"Christina, maiden of heroic mien!     Star of the ..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.