Progress of Vice

Samuel Taylor Coleridge * Track #12 On The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Vol I

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Album The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Vol I

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Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Progress of Vice by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Written in 1790, this poem is concerned with describing the process of moral corruption in human beings. The poem adopts several stylistic conventions of eighteenth century English verse, including the use of personification (that is, “Virtue” and “Vice” are spoken about as if they were people, spec...

Progress of Vice Annotated

&nbsp       &nbsp       &nbsp       &nbsp       &nbsp       &nbsp[Nemo repente turpissimus]

&nbsp       &nbspDeep in the gulph of Vice and Woe
&nbsp       &nbspLeaps Man at once with headlong throw?
&nbsp       &nbspHim inborn Truth and Virtue guide,
&nbsp       &nbspWhose guards are Shame and conscious Pride.
&nbspIn some gay hour Vice steals into the breast;
&nbspPerchance she wears some softer Virtue's vest.
&nbspBy unperceiv'd degrees she tempts to stray,
Till far from Virtue's path she leads the feet away.

&nbsp       &nbspThen swift the soul to disenthrall
&nbsp       &nbspWill Memory the past recall,
&nbsp       &nbspAnd Fear before the Victim's eyes
&nbsp       &nbspBid future ills and dangers rise.
&nbspBut hark! the Voice, the Lyre, their charms combine—
&nbspGay sparkles in the cup the generous Wine—
&nbspTh' inebriate dance, the fair frail Nymph inspires,
And Virtue vanquish'd—scorn'd—with hasty flight retires.

&nbsp       &nbspBut soon to tempt the Pleasures cease;
&nbsp       &nbspYet Shame forbids return to peace,
&nbsp       &nbspAnd stern Necessity will force
&nbsp       &nbspStill to urge on the desperate course.
&nbspThe drear black paths of Vice the wretch must try,
&nbspWhere Conscience flashes horror on each eye,
&nbspWhere Hate—where Murder scowl—where starts Affright!
Ah! close the scene—ah! close—for dreadful is the sight.

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