The Cause Won

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



Two neighbours furiously dispute;
A field--the subject of the suit.
Trivial the spot, yet such the rage
With which the combatants engage,
'Twere hard to tell who covets most
The prize--at whatsoever cost.
The pleadings swell. Words still suffice:
No single word but has its price.
No term but yields some fair pretence
For novel and increased expense.
Defendant thus becomes a name,
Which he that bore it may disclaim,
Since both in one description blended,
Are plaintiffs--when the suit is ended.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

25 sec read
136

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCDEEEFGGHH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 492
Words 84
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

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