Genre:

Poetry

Subjects:

Natural Theology, Creation, Feeling, Time, Degeneration

    Under the text of Psalms 19. 2, the poem starts with a dialogue between Nature and Time 'On the blindness and folly of reprobate man!'. Nature is 'truly surprised [...] / That the glories of earth, and the splendours on high / Should have ministered counsel again and again, / To this impotent heir of the dust all in vain'. They agree to work together to enlighten humankind, with Nature as 'Preacher' and Time as 'Clerk'. (34) In each of the remaining stanzas, Nature creates, but Time brings decay. Time singles out a star which 'dies in his merciless hand, / Like the doomed, whom the Judge from his chosen shall sever, / And consign to the blackness of darkness for ever!' (35)