Imagination
(Golder Project subject term)
Represented in
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Stanzas, extemporaneously written during the Egress of 1833, and the Ingress of1834 in New Zealand Minstrelsy
- Wild fancy holds the picture up to view, / Full drawn, though no realities appear.
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Stanzas, To a Young Poet in New Zealand Minstrelsy
- Of building fancy’s airy towers beware; / Lest heedlessly through self-conceit ye swerve,
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Signs of the Times in 1853 in The New Zealand Survey
- You know, dear brother, when we left / Our comfortable homes, bereft / Of all th’ endearments home could yield / Through social bless; no other shield / Of fair protection had we, than / Mere promises!—Now to a man
- How clashing int’rests are at war, / As each his neighbour would debar / From all those precious liberties, / Fancied or real, said t’ arise / From this our new born Constitution, / With quite as firm a resolution
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Preface in The New Zealand Survey
- New Zealand is the land for scenery; such that contains a vast amount of grandeur and picturesque beauty; not only so, but it also contains much that prompts enquiring wonder, when first is seen its lofty ridges covered with evergreen forests, and its deep ravines from which issue its many purling brooks, all beckoning and inviting the reflective mind to go far into the past of time, there to witness scenic phenomina which language almost fails to describe.
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An Ode on Manawatu in The New Zealand Survey
- The country’s extent gives an impulse, which makes / His heart beat with freedom; while forth he must view / Thy great spreading plains, he prospective partakes / Much pleasure
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Canto Fourth in The New Zealand Survey
- Blue Gums, and Stringy Barks, / The Oak, the Ash, the Hawthorn and the Larch, / Are in this country but exotics, brought / With many others, which one’s fancy culls / As a variety, far-fetched, and strange, / To be accounted “tasteful”—in advance / Of those content with homely native things!
- Here, as elsewhere, must civilization’s power, / In industry, in enterprise, and skill,— / All three with ardent energy combined, / Must rise and conquer nature’s wildness, and / Upon her work far other changes bold / To bring her to subjection; thus, must mind, / As aided by pecuniary means, / Be stamped on stubborn matter, as a die / An image would impress on plastic things; / The while effecting in reality, / What fancy paints, a pleasing happy scene!
- Such fancied pleasures, as embodied here / In all reality, would one remind / Of paradizian joys found in that vale / Where Rassless lived, in ancient story famed! / Descending now from fancy’s Pisgah height / The scene t’ examine;—it declares itself / The former basin of an inland lake, / Connected once with briny tides, which laved / These mountain steeps.
- A place attractive for sequestered life, / As from the world apart, but yet within / The reach of social fellowship, when such / Is felt desirable! Here, fancy might / Depict a scene of happiness and ease
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Lines — On hearing of the Demise of Dr. F. Logan, R.N., May 24, 1862, Aged 84 in The New Zealand Survey
- From youth I’ve loved society of the aged / Whose lives unite the history of my day / With the far past; whose tales have oft engaged
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Canto Second in The New Zealand Survey
- Of Fame’s proud temple poets oft have sung / According as their minds have been impress’d / By fancy’s sunbeam tissues, which pourtray’d, / In all its loveliness, the holy Fane; / As if each would his part of prophecy / In hierogliphic lore pronounce, though that, / In its reality, he but conceived / A shrine of treasured virtues and good deeds. / So is not this Fame’s temple, where transformed / To something real, in sublimity, / Are various thoughts? as one a structure rears / Of gross materials, wherewithall to match / Some preconceived design; a building fair / Of mystic structure, active minds have plann’d / As emblematic of some charming scene, / Which gladly they’d enjoy; and where converse / With those of worth, whose kindred one would claim, / Or there admire their works!
- Whatever scheme on which the mind’s engaged / In active labour to unfold its web / Of intricacies, while the attempt is made, / With failure often meeting, yet that scheme
- Oh! may this means its best effects produce / Where Paxton’s genius of construction well / Has been developed to Britannia’s joy!— / Although, alas, ’tis destined like a dream / To disappear as it had never been: / Yet for the grand conception of the scheme / May future generations rise to bless / PRINCE ALBERT’S mem’ry, and his enterprise! / And may results upon the world yet crown / The bright achievements of Victoria’s reign!
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To a Mountain Daisy in The New Zealand Survey
- But ye remind me when a youth, / How I felt grieved, with careless feet / To tread such beauties down! In truth / I felt so charmed with flowers so sweet! / And ye remind, when I would pore, / And ponder over nature’s page; / No other scenes then pleased me more / Than flow’ry fields, so as t’ engage / My fancy for the while!—But ah! / How like a dream those days have passed! / Yet recollections fond can draw / From those, some comfort, when downcast.
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A Retrospective Reverie. — On receiving the “Hamilton Advertiser” a provincial newspaper, sent from “Home,” 1859 in The New Zealand Survey
- And some, like me, have wandered far, / As led by Fancy’s guiding star, / And homely scenes of youth deserted.
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Canto Fifth in The New Zealand Survey
- He found upon this island a wild race / “From all the world disjoined!” His visit then, / To them was like the earliest, faintest break / Of greyish dawn, upon the coming day; / And long before the sun, with upward rays, / The eastern sky paints in vermilion hue! / It told them (if such tidings they perceived) / There were elsewhere another race of men / Of more extensive knowledge;—that themselves / Were not the only people of the world;— / That they themselves, compared with what they saw / In all their wonted pride, degraded were!— / For nothing dreamed they of more cultured state, / Or civilization; (if to them such phrase / Intelligible were;) nor could conceive / Such state of mind, so as to feel debased / With that degraded state in which they lived, / When seeing something of a nobler kind; / No more than when they could their great canoes / Compare with that great ship the stranger own’d! / This visit must have given their stagnant thoughts / A quite unwonted stir! another theme / Of converse, of unfathomable depth, / When conjuring fresh conjectures oft,—
- But whence this solitary race of men? / How have they here got planted?—may be asked.— / A race of savages without a date,— / Or record of their early history / To trace their lineage!—They’re ever prone / To deal in wonders, and tradition’s lore / Much mixed with fable, contrary to aught / That’s probable, or may be reckoned true; / Crude fancy’s pictures ever over drawn / On some poetic, but untutor’d mind, / Which would try to expound the reason why / The ancient sires got landed on these shores; / While facts with fictions of the basest kind / Are so comingled, no dependance can / Be placed upon each theory declared: / But what can be expected from such minds, / Whose ignorance was darkness multiplied? / Whose ideas, the shades of wand’ring dreams / Of evanescent nature, hard to hold! / Or like the ignus fatuus wand’ring wide, / And leading the benighted far astray / From the sure path,
- Yet nothwithstanding such degraded state, / They shew themselves to claim a kindred tie / To all of Adam’s race, ev’n by their works, / However rude, formed through necessity; / Yet some bespeaking fancy, also skill, / Ingenious in their kinds, with lack of means, / Which others would for similar purpose use:— / All speak a claim, as ardent to support / This their memorial of a brotherhood; / As much, as would, on Jordan’s banks, when reared / The testifying altar of the Jews!
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On Self Misery.—An Epigram in The New Zealand Survey
- While, how to escape from himself, is a querry; / Oft making him rush into woe!— / Or dreaming ’tis “life” to be thoughtlessly merry, / The pleasures of peace to forego; / How fatal such dreaming!—a snare, the invention / Of foes the most cruel, though sly; / False joys they would offer with blandest pretension, / Whose aim is the soul to destroy!
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Canto First in The New Zealand Survey
- Although such / Desires may be but embryo—scarcely form’d / To thought upon their minds, yet these may grow, / By more reflection cherish’d, to the seeds / Of wond’rous revolutions; yet a work, / Though each should in himself the task begin, / Which future generations must complete;— / When in their country’s history must arise / Another era worthy to be known / Through time, recorded as another birth;— / A fresh advancement to’ard perfection’s height!— / A hast’ning of that time “when shall rejoice / The wilderness, and blossom as the rose!”
- they long had been deceived / By their wild fancies, when they thought themselves / Reposit’ries of wisdom; and they knew / All worthy to be known! Thus prejudice / Like a huge serpent of volum’nous length / Around its devotees had twined itself / In strangling folds, and long withstood th’ attempt / By philanthropic aid, to be expell’d / As riddance much desired—while they themselves, / As slaves would hug their chains, in ignorance / Of freedom’s blessings,—
- Imagination well might conjure scenes / Of fairy temples, amid flowery lawns, / Or ample orchard lands, with jets de eau, / And statues tastefully arranged around / Enliven’d by the songsters of the grove; / But this surpasses all that fancy sought / Of pleasure, from realities apart; / For this contains them all within itself / Eclipsing quite the visionary scenes
- “A picture is a poem without words,” / I’ve heard it said, or somewhere have it read; / But here, I see it,—aye, and something more! / I see in this, th’ imaginary past / Of strange romantic story, as a dream / Brought to reality,
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The Two Guides in The New Zealand Survey
- ’Tis thus we Reason should prefer— / ’Tis wisdom, worthy all painstaking!— / And so her guidance seek with care, / While Fancy’s ’lurements false forsaking! / As Wisdom’s ways are pleasant ways, / So Reason with them harmonizes; / There true enjoyment’s found, as says / That “Truth” which ev’ry truth comprises
- On some life’s problem to be solved, / Oft Passion’s side’s by Fancy brighten’d; / While that of Reason is involved / In much obscureness, unenlightened! / Thus, some are lured, and in their choice, / Are drawn by Fancy’s fascinations; / The while they dream of reaping joys, / Which fill their hearts with pride’s inflations, / Until some other days advance, / When Reason’s part becomes enlightened; / The soul awakes as from a trance / Amazed, at being so benighten’d! / Ah! then she grieves o’er what before / She doated on with fondest pleasure; / When Fancy’s light expires, no more / To cheer; of joys, no more her measure!
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Canto First in The New Zealand Survey
- like a courier, on the wings of time, / Th’ imagination’s borne, and carried far / Into the past in vision, there to see / As by the starlight, things in darkness hid:
- Then oh! what words can lab’ring thoughts employ / T’express the feelings felt, or ev’n pourtray / Those scenes majestic passing in review / Before th’ imagination, as we aim / To trace their causes, from th’ effects produced?— / All stereotyped, and stamped indelibly / On Nature’s ample page! From such we dare / Bring forth to light, what long has lain concealed / In darkness—deeds now buried in the past, / As deep as those in far futurity, / The subject only of prophetic lore!— / But of the past, the Muse may dare unfold, / Such deeds, traced in the foot-prints of events, / Which have transpired, and long since passed away!
- Thus where the waters have scooped furrows deep / In cultivated soil, as well as where / The river’s banks are broke, like some wild freak / Of Nature’s fancy, will some mystery strange / Itself discover, in some buried tree,
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Canto Fourth in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- The matter much she ponder’do’er and o’er, / And in connection, on the ploughman thought; / For, when comparing things as they appear’d, / To what her fancy—no vain fancy this— / Would picture forth beneath the care of him / She cherish in her heart,—the ploughman George! / —She could not but feel trammel’d by the force / Of such untoward ettiquette, and sigh, / “Oh! could we come to conversation,—then / My heart would feel releived; or know the worst
- —That springing from the spirit of Romance, / No matter who is guided by its powers, / (Whether of high, or low degree of life) / Such influenced are by mere passion’s sway, / Of true-love’s nature void,—ay, void of aught / Of prudence, or due fore-thought, as regards / Likely events of sorrow, such may bring! / The impulse of the moment, all the charm; / The vagueness of the fancy thus inspires / The mind with false delights—gilded deceits!
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Canto Fifth in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- What great mistakes are made when heedless youth / Must eagerly bland fancies conjure up, / Which fain he’d look on, as realities, / Much to be prized;—ah! then his fancied hopes / Have little of developement, while vague / His wishes are, unsteadfast in their aims. / Thus small perception has he of his needs; / And their pecuiar natuer, as might prompt
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Canto First in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
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New Year Salutations, for 1863 in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- We look on the future, but ’tis not defined; / A great bank of shaddows rests o’er the abyss; / And who can tell what underneath is design’d / To fall to our lots,—whether sorrow, or bliss? / How Fancy paints brightly things distant to reach! / Yet, what lies behind is in darkness conceal’d: / Thus, wisdom from all past experience would teach, / “Be prompt to embrace what is truly reveal’d!”
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Canto Sixth in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- Love’s blessings are not sent as full matured;
- If’tis our nature Reason’s power t’ employ, / In oppositon to vain fancy’s mood; / Such nature is a blessing in itself; / ’Tis a reward incorporate with means / Employ’d in the fulfillment of our dues. / The duty thus imposed, will in ourselves / Find the due mode, whereby it will be done!
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A Lay on Wanganui in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- great convulsions would resume / Some ancient task, unfinish’d then; / T’ upheave those ridges ’bove the room / They held, ’mid many’ a briny fen! / Volcanoes bursting forth in rage / On yonder mountains, dreadly grand; / The sky bombarding, as, they’d wage / Aggressive war, while quaked the land. / Thus, from earth’s caverns deep were thown / Its molten bowels high in air, / As belch’d from cannon’s mouth anon, / Like rockets, neither small nor spare! / A startling sight to be beheld; / Aye, more than fancy well can shew,
- How fancy paints a forest dense / Of masts, in buntings best array, / Above thy waters, while immense / Of merchandise make great display / Upon thy quays; while workmen strong; / Proclaim the bustle business brings; / With thy small town become, erelong, / A city, having merchant kings!
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Canto Third in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- Hard, hard is such a case: adversity / Would seize him as the victim of its sport,
- How sweet the distant prospect to behold!— / Love-fancy’s ever bright with golden dreams; / How like you sunny landscape glowing ’neath / A summer sky, in all its beauteous charms, / Where woodland hills, ’gainst the horizon’s blue, / Stand forth in all varieties of green; / While hedge-environ’d fields display a vast / Of flowery beauties, in their mingling hues, / Bespangling the green pastures, where the kine / ’Mid sweet luxuriance graze:—all to the eye / Of observation charming—fit to cheer / The care-beclouded mind, or grieving heart:— / But all such pleasures subject are to change; / For, while enraptured with the lovely scene, / Foreboding clouds pass over the bright sun, / And buries the fair landscape in deep shade; / Which casts a reflex influence on the mind!
- But oft it haps, ’midbouyant hopes of bliss, / View’d in the future, charming to behold, / Like telescopic scenes, for beauty’s sheen, / That wayward things will yet one’s path beset, / ’S ifProvidence had doom’d his lot, to be / Far otherwise, than what he for himself / Had chosen; or the one on whom his heart / Is fix’d, is not appointed as—“mine own!”
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A Retropective Ditty in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- There youthful friendships rose, / Like sweet flowers of summer springing; / When Fancy would disclose / Smiling Cupids round us winging! / Oh! these were hours of love, / When no cares could make us craven, / As arm in arm we’d rove / Through the silent walks of Straven.
- But should I ne’er return / To those scenes, which once gave pleasure; / This bosom’s like an urn, / Where remembrance hoards its treasure: / Such treasure to forego, / On this heart so deeply graven, / I’ll never while ye flow / On your course sweet winding Aven
- To youth’s old joyous scenes / Still one’s thoughts are apt to wander; / Such oft the mind serenes, / As on former things he,d ponder: / Thus as I muse on home / In the town of ancient Straven; / In fancy would I roam / On the thymy banks of Aven!
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Canto Second in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- So feels, th’ enamour’d swain, whose loving heart / Has got entrapp’d, suspecting nought of guile, / In her, who, took his fancy, wiled his heart, / Until attainment of her ends she gain’d:— / Now base deceit, no longer held in check, / Must out anon! and that to his dismay, / O’erwhelming all his prospects bright with gloom! / Such sudden change appals; he feels its shock / Quite paralizing all his energies / For future weel;
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Saturnalia Astray. — or, Christmass in the South in The Philosophy of Love. [A Plea in Defence of Virtue and Truth!] A Poem in Six Cantos, with Other Poems
- Such was the custom of the heathen fathers / According to traditions in old yore, / Of northen superstitions, as when gathers / The gloomy storm-cloud’s bulk; so they’d adore / Their fancied Gods and firmly thus believe / They did true homage; hoping to recieve / Much good from his return, as did their fathers.
Searching
For several reasons, including lack of resource and inherent ambiguity, not all names in the NZETC are marked-up. This means that finding all references to a topic often involves searching. Search for Imagination as: "Imagination". Additional references are often found by searching for just the main name of the topic (the surname in the case of people).
Other Collections
The following collections may have holdings relevant to "Imagination":
- Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, which has entries for many prominent New Zealanders.
- Archives New Zealand, which has collections of maps, plans and posters; immigration passenger lists; and probate records.
- National Library of New Zealand, which has extensive collections of published material.
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, which has extensive holdings on the Auckland region and New Zealand military history.
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, which has strong holdings in Tāonga Māori, biological holotypes and New Zealand art.
- nzhistory.net.nz, from the History Group of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.