Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral · Theme

Grief and Consolation

How Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral develops Grief and Consolation.

The collection frequently addresses personal and communal grief, offering religious consolation by redirecting mourners' focus to heavenly reunion and divine will, as in 'To a Lady on the Death of Her Husband' and 'On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age.'

Where it surfaces

On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell. 1769
The poet mourns the loss but finds comfort in Sewell's salvation and the promise of heaven.
On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield. 1770
The poem expresses communal grief over Whitefield's loss but offers consolation through the vision of his eternal glory and the hope of reunion.
On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age
The speaker directly addresses parental grief, urging its transformation into grateful praise and hopeful acceptance.
On the Death of a Young Gentleman
The speaker addresses the parents' anguish, offering spiritual comfort and urging them to look to God.
To a Lady on the Death of Her Husband
The speaker directly addresses the mourner, telling her to cease tears and cast away anguish, offering the hope of heavenly reunion as comfort.
To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations
The speaker urges the mourner to cease weeping and find hope in the eternal joys awaiting the departed.
To a Clergyman on the Death of His Lady
The narrator urges the clergyman to move from sorrow to heavenly resignation, offering the muse's comfort.
A Funeral Poem on the Death of C. E. An Infant of Twelve Months
The speaker consoles the parents by reframing their loss as a gain for the child, urging them to find comfort in faith and the hope of reunion.
To a Lady on Her Coming to North-America with Her Son, for the Recovery of Her Health
The husband's grief at separation and the joy of reunion highlight themes of loss and comfort.
To a Lady on Her Remarkable Preservation in an Hurricane in North-Carolina
Maria's fears of losing her spouse are relieved, and she is welcomed to land with comfort and joy.
To a Lady and Her Children, on the Death of Her Son and Their Brother
The poem moves from overwhelming sorrow to the hope of reunion in heaven, urging the mourners to cease weeping.
To a Gentleman and Lady on the Death of the Lady’s Brother and Sister, and a Child of the Name of Avis, Aged One Year
The speaker directly addresses the lady's grief, urging her to dry her tears and find solace in divine providence and the child's salvation.
On the Death of Dr. Samuel Marshall. 1771
The poem vividly depicts the sorrow of Marshall's family and community, while ending with a note of immortal hope.
On the Death of J. C. An Infant
The poem moves from vivid expressions of sorrow to a call for faith-based comfort, transforming grief into acceptance.
To the Honourable T. H. Esq.; On the Death of His Daughter
The poem directly addresses the father's mourning and offers comfort through recollection and the daughter's heavenly perspective.
Niobe in Distress for Her Children Slain by Apollo, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Book VI and from a View of the Painting of Mr. Richard Wilson
The poem vividly portrays Niobe's overwhelming grief at the loss of her children, culminating in her transformation into a weeping stone.
To His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, on the Death of His Lady. March 24, 1773
The speaker urges the governor to cease mourning and find comfort in the deceased's heavenly reward.
A Farewel to America. To Mrs. S. W.
Susanna's sorrow at departure and the speaker's attempt to console her are central to the poem.
II
The speaker expresses grief over their physical suffering and lack of consolation from nature.
IV
The chapter depicts Susanna's mourning and the narrator's emotional response to her sorrow.
V
The speaker consoles a grieving woman, urging her to refrain from outward expressions of sorrow.
Chapter VI
The speaker's lament that spring's beauties are 'in vain' reflects a deep grief that overshadows natural joy.