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Margaret Cavendish's Poems and Fancies

A digital critical edition, edited by Liza Blake

INTRODUCTIONS TO THE SITE

  • About this Website, and How to Use It
  • Reading Poems (and Fancies): An Introduction to Margaret Cavendish’s Poems and Fancies
  • Textual and Editorial Introduction

——POEMS AND FANCIES——

  • PREFATORY MATERIAL
    • To the Lady Newcastle, on Her Book of Poems
    • The Epistle Dedicatory
    • To All Noble and Worthy Ladies
    • An Epistle to Mistress Toppe
    • To Her Excellence The Lady Marchioness of Newcastle
    • To Natural Philosophers
    • To the Reader
    • The Poetress’s Hasty Resolution
    • The Poetress’s Petition
    • An Excuse for Writing So Much upon my Verses
  • PART I
    • Nature Calls a Counsel, which is Motion, Figure, Matter, and Life, to Advise about Making the World.
    • Death’s Endeavor to Hinder and Obstruct Nature
    • A World Made by Atoms
    • The Four Principle Figured Atoms Make the Four Elements, as Square, Round, Long, and Sharp.
    • Of Airy Atoms
    • Of Air
    • Of Earth
    • The Weight of Atoms
    • The Bigness of Atoms
    • The Joining of Several Figured Atoms Make Other Figures.
    • What Atoms Make Change
    • All Things Last or Dissolve According to the Composure of Atoms.
    • Of Loose Atoms
    • Change Is Made by Several Figured Atoms and Motion.
    • Of Sharp Atoms
    • Of Atoms that Make Flame
    • Of Fire and Flame
    • Of Fire in the Flint
    • Of the Four Principle Sorts of Atoms
    • Of the Sympathy of These Four Principle Figured Atoms
    • What Atoms make Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals
    • What Atoms Make Heat and Cold
    • What Atoms Make Fire Burn, and What Flame
    • What Atoms Make the Sun and the Sea Go Round
    • What Atoms Make Life
    • What Atoms Make Death
    • What Atoms Cause Sickness
    • What Atoms Make a Dropsy
    • What Atoms Make a Consumption
    • What Atoms Make the Wind Colic
    • What Atoms Make a Palsy or Apoplexy
    • In All Other Diseases, Atoms Are Mixed, Taking Parts and Factions.
    • All Things Are Governed by Atoms.
    • A War betwixt Atoms
    • Atoms and Motion Fall out.
    • The Agreement of Some Kind of Motion with Some Kind of Atoms
    • Motion Directs, While Atoms Dance.
    • The Difference of Atoms and Motion in Youth and Age
    • Motion Makes Atoms a Bawd for Figure.
    • Motion Is According to the Figure.
    • Of the Subtlety of Motion
    • Motion is the Life of All Things.
    • Of Vacuum
    • Of the Motion of the Sea
    • Of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea
    • Vacuum in Atoms
    • Of Contracting and Dilating, Whereby Vacuum Must Needs Follow
    • Of the Attraction of the Earth
    • Of the Attraction of the Sun
    • The Cause of the Breaking of the Sun’s Beams
    • Of the Rays of the Sun
    • Of the Beams of the Sun
    • Whether the Sun Doth Set the Air on a Light, as Some Opinions Hold
    • What Atoms the Sun Is Made of
    • Of Vapor
    • Of Dews and Mists Coming from the Earth
    • Of the Attraction of the Poles, and of Frost
    • Of Quenching out of Fire
    • The Quenching out and Smothering of Heat and Light Doth Not Change the Property nor Shape of Sharp Atoms.
    • Of a Spark of Fire
    • Of a Burning Coal
    • Of Ashes
    • The Increasing and Decreasing of Visible Fire
    • The Power of Fire
    • Of Burning, Why It Causes Pain
    • The Reason Water Quenches Fire
    • Of the Sound of Water, Air and Flame
    • The Reason of the Roaring of the Sea
    • The Agility of Water
    • Of the Center of the World
    • All Sharp Atoms Do Run to the Center, and Those that Settle Not, by Reason of the Straightness of the Place, Fly out to the Circumference. Sharp Atoms Running to the Center Make a Sun.
    • In the Center Atoms Never Separate.
    • If Infinite Worlds, There Must Be Infinite Centers.
    • The Infinites of Matter
    • A World Made by Four Kinds of Atoms
    • Of the Elements
    • Fire Compared to Stings
    • Flame Compared to the Tide of the Sea
    • What is Liquid
    • Of Fire and Moisture
    • Air Begot by Heat and Moisture
    • The Temper of the Earth
    • Wind Is Made in the Air, Not in the Earth.
    • Thunder is a Wind in the Middle Region.
    • Of Cold Winds
    • Of Stars
    • Of the Motion of the Sun
    • Of the Sun’s Weakness
    • A Fire is in the Center of the Earth.
    • The Sun is Nurse to All the Earth Bears.
    • What Makes Echo
    • What Makes Echo Rebound
    • Of the Sound and Echo
    • Of Shadow and Echo
    • Of Light
    • Of Light and Sight
    • The Objects of Every Sense Are According to their Motions in the Brain.
    • According as the Notes in Music Agree with the Motions of the Heart or Brain, Such Passions Are Produced Thereby.
    • The Motion of Thoughts
    • The Reason Why the Thoughts Are Only in the Head
    • Of the Motion of the Blood
    • The Traffic betwixt the Sun and the Earth
    • It Is Hard to Believe that there Are Other Worlds in this World.
    • Of Many Worlds in this World
    • A World in an Earring
    • Several Worlds in Several Circles
  • CLASP I-II
    • Untitled [When I did write this book I took great pains]
    • The Circle of the Brain Cannot Be Squared.
    • Another to the Same Purpose
    • The Circle of Honesty Squared
    • The Same Circle Squared in Prose
    • The Trisection
    • The Arithmetic of Passions
  • PART II
    • PREFATORY MATERIAL
      • Of Moral Philosophy and Moralists
    • DIALOGUES
      • Of Fame: A Dialogue between Two Supernatural Opinions
      • Of Fame: A Dialogue between Two Natural Opinions
      • A Simple Natural Opinion of the Mind
      • The Purchase of Poets, or, a Dialogue betwixt the Poets and Fame, and Homer’s Marriage
      • A Dialogue betwixt Man and Nature
      • A Dialogue betwixt the Body and the Mind
      • A Complaint of Water, Earth, and Air, against the Sun, by Way of Dialogue
      • A Dialogue between Earth and Cold
      • A Dialogue betwixt Earth, and Darkness
      • A Dialogue between an Oak and a Man Cutting Him Down
      • A Dialogue of Birds
      • A Dialogue between Melancholy and Mirth
      • A Dialogue betwixt Joy and Discretion
      • A Dialogue betwixt Wit and Beauty
      • A Dialogue between Love and Hate
      • A Dialogue betwixt Learning and Ignorance
      • A Dialogue betwixt Riches and Poverty
      • A Dialogue betwixt Anger and Patience
      • A Dialogue between a Bountiful Knight and a Castle Ruined in War
      • A Dialogue betwixt Peace and War
    • MORAL DISCOURSES
      • A Discourse of Love, the Parent of Passions
      • A Discourse of Love Neglected, Burnt up with Grief
      • A Discourse of Man’s Pride, or Seeming Prerogative
      • Of Foolish Ambition
      • Of Humility
      • Of Riches or Covetousness
      • Of Poverty
      • Of Tranquillity
      • Of the Shortness of Man’s Life and his Foolish Ambition
      • A Moral Discourse of Man and Beast
      • Of the Ant
      • A Moral Discourse of Corn
      • Of the Knowledge of Beasts
      • Of Fishes
      • Of Birds
      • Earth’s Complaint
      • A Discourse of a Knave
      • Of a Fool
      • Of Melancholy
      • A Discourse of the Power of Devils
  • CLASP II-III
    • Untitled [Give me a free and noble style]
    • The Hunting of the Hare
    • The Hunting of the Stag
    • Of an Island
    • The Ruin of this Island
  • PART III
    • PREFATORY MATERIAL
      • To Poets
      • To the Reader
      • Of Poets and their Theft
      • Upon the same Subject
      • Wherein Poetry Chiefly Consists
    • FANCIES
      • The Several Keys of Nature, which Unlock the Several Boxes of her Cabinet
      • Nature’s Cabinet
      • Nature’s Dress
      • Nature’s Cook
      • Nature’s Oven
      • A Posset for Nature’s Breakfast
      • An Olio Dressed for Nature’s Dinner
      • A Bisk for Nature’s Table
      • A Hodge-Podge for Nature’s Table
      • A Heart Dressed
      • Head and Brain Dressed
      • A Tart
      • Nature’s Dessert
      • Nature’s Officers
      • Nature’s House
      • Comparing the Head to a Barrel of Wine
      • Comparing of Wits to Wines
      • Nature’s Wardrobe
      • The Soul’s Garment
      • Nature’s Grange
      • Comparing the Tongue to a Wheel
      • Similizing the Brain to a Garden
      • Similizing the Heart to a Harp, the Head to an Organ, the Tongue to a Lute, to make a Consort of Music
      • Similizing the Winds to Music
      • Of a Picture Hung in Nature’s House
      • Nature’s Exercise and Pastime
      • Nature’s City
      • Nature’s Market
      • Of Two Hearts
      • Similizing the Clouds to Horses
      • Similizing Birds to a Ship
      • Similizing the Mind
      • A Prospect of a Church in the Mind
      • A Landscape
      • Similizing Thoughts
      • The Actions of the Mind Similized
      • Similizing Navigation
      • Similizing the Sea to Meadows and Pastures, the Mariners to Shepherds, the Mast to a Maypole, the Fish to Beasts
      • Comparing Waves and a Ship to Rebellion
      • Similizing the Head of Man to the World
      • Similizing the Head of Man to a Hive of Bees
      • The Prey of Thoughts
      • Similizing Fancy to a Gnat
      • Of the Spider
      • A Comparison between Gold and the Sun
      • Poets Have Most Pleasure in this Life.
      • The Head of Man Compared to a Church
      • The Mine of Wit
    • CONCLUSION
      • The Conclusion of this Part
  • CLASP III-IV
    • Phantasm’s Masque
    • Fancy’s Prologue to Judgment
    • The Voyage of a Ship, under which the Fortune of a Young Lady is Expressed
    • Another Voyage of the Same Ship
    • A Lady Dressed by Love
    • A Soldier Armed by Mars
    • A Lady Dressed by Youth
    • A Woman Dressed by Age
    • The Chorus
    • The Bride
    • The Bridegroom
    • To the Temple
    • A Masquer Dressed by Vanity
    • Vanity’s Epilogue to the Thoughts
    • A Masquer Dressed by Honor and Time
    • Honor’s Epilogue
  • PART IV
    • PREFATORY MATERIAL
      • To all Writing Ladies
      • To the Reader, Concerning Fairies
    • POEMS
      • Upon the Theme of Love
      • The Brain Compared to the Elysium
      • A Description of a Shepherd’s and a Shepherdess’s Life
      • The Allegory of Shepherds Is too Mean for Noble Persons.
      • The House of Shame, wherein Dishonor Lives
      • The Temple of Honor
      • Fame
      • The Temple of Fame
      • Fame’s Library within the Temple
      • The Fairy Queen’s Kingdom
      • The Pastime and Recreation of the Queen of Fairies in Fairyland, the Center of the Earth
      • The Pastime of the Queen of Fairies, when She Comes upon the Earth out of the Center
      • The Palace of the Fairy Queen
      • The Windy Giants
      • Of the Witches in Lapland that Make Winds
      • Of the Sun and the Earth
      • Of a Garden
      • Of an Oak in a Grove
      • Of a Wrought Carpet, Presented to the View of Working Ladies
      • A Man to his Mistress
  • CLASP IV-V
    • Of Fairies in the Brain
    • The City of These Fairies Is the Brain.
    • The Fairies in the Brain May Be the Causes of Many Thoughts.
    • Of the Animal Spirits
    • The War of the Animal Spirits
    • Peace betwixt Animal Spirits
    • The Body Is the World of the Animal Spirits.
    • Similizing the Body to Many Countries
    • A Compliment Sent to the Fairy Queen
  • PART V
    • PREFATORY MATERIAL
      • To All Valiant Soldiers
    • POEMS
      • The Fort or Castle of Hope
      • Doubt’s Assault, and Hope’s Defense
      • A Battle between Courage and Prudence
      • A Description of the Battle in Fight
      • A Battle between Honor and Dishonor
      • A Battle between King Oberon and the Pygmies
      • The Temple of Fortune
      • A Battle between Life and Death
      • Of a Traveling Thought
    • A REGISTER OF MOURNFUL VERSES
      • On a Melting Beauty
      • On a Furious Sorrow
      • On a Mourning Beauty
      • Of Sorrow’s Tears
      • An Elegy on a Widow
      • On a Mother, that Died for Grief of the Death of her Only Daughter
      • On a Beautiful Young Maid, that Died Daughter to the Grieved Mother
      • The Funeral of Calamity
      • Upon the Funeral of my Dear Brother, Killed in these Unhappy Wars
      • An Elegy on my Brother, Killed in these Unhappy Wars
      • Of the Death and Burial of Truth
  • The Animal Parliament
  • CONCLUSION
    • Untitled [I know those that are strict]
    • Of the Style of this Book
    • The Common Fate of Books
    • Another of the Same
    • Untitled [A poet I am neither born nor bred]
    • Untitled [Final Note to the Reader]

KEYWORD SEARCH THE SITE

  • BONUS POEMS
    • Of Sense and Reason Exercised in their Different Shapes (from Philosophical Fancies)
    • Untitled [“Great God, from Thee All Infinites Do Flow”] (from Phil. Fancies and Phil. Phys. Op.)
    • The Description of the Violence of Love (from Nature’s Picture(s))
    • The Surprisal of Death (from Nature’s Picture(s))
    • A Description of the Passion of Love Misplaced (from Nature’s Picture(s))
    • Of the Working of Several Motions of Nature (from Phil. Fancies and Phil. Phys. Op.)

The Temper of the Earth

The Earth, we find, is very cold and dry,
And must therefore have fire and water nigh
To wash and bathe, then dry herself without,
Else she would useless be, without all doubt.

Posted on June 11, 2017April 26, 2019Author Poems and Fancies Research AssistantCategories PART I

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