ODE IX.

The Author apologizes to a Lady, for his

being a little man.
Natura nusquam magis, quam in minimis tota est. PLIN.. HOM.
I.
1 YES, contumelious fair, you scorn
2 The amorous dwarf, that courts you to his arms,
3 But ere you leave him quite forlorn,
4 And to some youth gigantic yield your charms,
5 Hear him — oh hear him, if you will not try,
6 And let your judgment check th' ambition of your eye.
II.
7 Say, is it carnage makes the man?
8 Is to be monstrous really to be great?
9 Say, is it wise or just to scan
10 Your lover's worth by quantity, or weight?
11 Ask your mamma and nurse, if it be so;
12 Nurse and mamma, I ween, shall jointly answer, no.
III.
13 The less the body to the view,
14 The soul (like springs in closer durance pent)
15 Is all exertion, ever new,
16 Unceasing, unextinguish'd, and unspent;
17 Still pouring forth executive desire,
18 As bright, as brisk, and lasting, as the vestal fire.
IV.
19 Does thy young bosom pant for fame;
20 Woud'st thou be of posterity the toast?
21 The poets shall ensure thy name,
22 Who magnitude of mind not body boast.
23 Laurels on bulky bards as rarely grow,
24 As on the sturdy oak the virtuous misletoe.
V.
25 Look in the glass, survey that cheek —
26 Where FLORA has with all her roses blush'd;
27 The shape so tender, — looks so meek, —
28 The breasts made to be press'd, not to be crush'd —
29 Then turn to me, — turn with obliging eyes,
30 Nor longer Nature's works, in miniature, despise.
VI.
31 Young AMMON did the world subdue,
32 Yet had not more external man than I;
33 Ah! charmer, should I conquer you,
34 With him in fame, as well as size, I'll vie.
35 Then, scornful nymph, come forth to yonder grove,
36 Where I defy, and challenge, all thy utmost love.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): ODE IX. The Author apologizes to a Lady, for his being a
little man.
Author: Christopher Smart
Themes: relations between the sexes; love [add]
Genres: ode [add]

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Poetic form
Metrical notation:

 a ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′/
 b ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′/ Symbols:
 a ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′/
 b ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′/  ˘ metrically non-prominent
 c ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′/  ′ metrically prominent
(primary)
 c ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′| ˘ ′/  ` metrically prominent
(secondary)
Metrical foot type: iambic (˘′)  | metrical foot boundary
 / metrical line boundary
Metrical foot number: tetrameter (4 feet); pentameter (5  || caesura
feet); hexameter (6 feet)
Stanza: sestet (6 lines)
Syllable pattern: 8/10/8/10/10/12
Rhyme scheme: ababcc
Rhyme (stanza position): tail (aabccb)

Source edition
Smart, Christopher, 1722-1771. Poems on several occasions: By Christopher Smart,
A. M. Fellow of Pembroke-Hall, Cambridge. London: printed for the author, by W.
Strahan; and sold by J. Newbery, at the Bible and Sun, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard,
MDCCLII., 1752, pp. 23-24. [16],230p.,plates; 4⁰. (ESTC T42626; OTA
K041581.000)

Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization
of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all
editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic
text originally produced by the ECCO-TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to
conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in
Libraries version 3.0.

Other works by Christopher Smart

 Against ILL-NATURE. (); ODE AGAINST ILL-NATURE. ()
 APOLLO and DAPHNE. An EPIGRAM. ()
 The BAG-WIG and the TOBACCO-PIPE. A FABLE. ()
 CARE and GENEROSITY. A FABLE. ()
 The DECISION. BALLAD III. ()
 The DISTRESSED DAMSEL. BALLAD VII. ()
 EPITHALAMIUM. ODE XI. ()
 The FAIR RECLUSE. BALLAD VIII. ()
 The FORCE of INNOCENCE. To Miss C—. BALLAD VI. ()
 THE HOP-GARDEN. A GEORGIC. In Two BOOKS. ()
 IDLENESS. ODE VII. ()
 THE JUDGMENT OF MIDAS. A MASQUE. ()
 The LASS with the golden Locks. BALLAD II. ()
 A MORNING PIECE, OR, AN HYMN for the HAY-MAKERS. ODE I. ()
 A NIGHT-PIECE; OR, MODERN PHILOSOPHY. ODE III. ()
 A NOON-PIECE; OR, The MOWERS at Dinner. ODE II. ()
 AN OCCASIONAL PROLOGUE and EPILOGUE TO OTHELLO, ()
 ODE ON ST. CECILIA's DAY. ()
 On an EAGLE confined in a College-Court. ODE XIII. ()
 On GOOD-NATURE. ()
 On Miss * * * *. ODE X. ()
 ON THE ETERNITY OF THE SUPREME BEING. ()
 On the Fifth of December, being the Birth-day of a beautiful young Lady.
ODE V. ()
 ON THE GOODNESS OF THE SUPREME BEING. ()
 ON THE IMMENSITY OF THE SUPREME BEING. ()
 ON THE OMNISCIENCE OF THE SUPREME BEING. ()
 ON THE POWER OF THE SUPREME BEING. ()
 On the sudden Death of a CLERGYMAN. ODE IV. ()
 The PHYSICIAN and the MONKEY. An EPIGRAM. ()
 The PRETTY CHAMBERMAID: In Imitation of Ne sit Ancillae tibi amor
pudori, &c. of Horace. ODE VI. ()
 The SILENT FAIR. BALLAD V. ()
 [A SONG to DAVID.] ()
 SWEET WILLIAM. BALLAD I. ()
 The TALKATIVE FAIR. BALLAD IV. ()
 To ETHELINDA, On her doing my Verses the honour of wearing them in her
bosom. Written at Thirteen. ()
 To Miss — one of the Chichester Graces. BALLAD IX. ()
 To the reverend and learned Dr. WEBSTER, Occasioned by his Dialogues on
ANGER and FORGIVENESS. ODE VIII. ()