Can you help with identifying this poem?

[Lou 10]

This is written on the gravestone of my 8 times great Grandfather who was born in 1714 and died in 1766.

 

I'm not even 100% sure it's a poem by a real poet or whether it was something his immediate family wrote when he died. However, from what I vaguely remember from school, is it written in iambic pentameter?!

 

Does anyone recognize this:

 

"While nature's wants the well earn'd bread supplies

The Oppressor's Grandeur and his Power dispise

For what avails, when laid with Mother Earth

Tove boafred once of Title, Wealth or Birth

Worldly Distinction vanishes with breath

But good Men's glory, only dawns with Death"

 

I've tried googling it to no avail. I've tried looking at works of 18th century poets and not found anything yet. I've even looked through 150 psalms at the end of a copy of the New Testament and Psalms that I have (incidentally I'm not religious, I was given it in school!).

 

Any help would be gratefully received as I can't seem to give up trying to work this out!

[chinaski 10]

It is written in iambic pentameter. You're probably right - the verse is most likely penned by a relative. You won't find anything online. If the poet was even relatively well known, you'd have found it. The poem does sound like it was written in the 18th century, though I'm far from an expert.

 

What's interesting is the phrase "Tove boafred"; I've never come across the term before and I can't find any meaning behind the words, even on the etymology sites. Maybe it's a local dialect?

[Ghozer 113]

Tove boafred...

 

Boafred is a german name (i think), not very well known and not very popular, but I have heared it before (had a friend once Damien Boafred and he was indeed german..)

 

while Tove is a Scandinavian given name which derives from the Old Norse name Tófa, a shortening of Thorfrithr, "beautiful Thor" or "peace of Thor."[1][2][3] Tove is mostly a female name but occasionally masculine. Tove is also an alternative English spelling of the Hebrew female name that more commonly spelled Tovah or Tova

[source: Wikipedia]

 

so it could be that they were known by something else previously, that would fit in..

 

"Tove boafred once of Title" - or..

"Tove boafred once called" - etc...

 

Just a thought!

Edited July 4, 2010 by Ghozer

[rubydazzler 11]

For what avails, when laid with Mother Earth

Tove boafred once of Title, Wealth or Birth

 

Just going with the flow and following the apparent meaning of the verse, I read it as 'to've boasted once' etc. In other words, no matter what status you have in life and how much you value or brag about it, once you're dead, it doesn't matter anymore and gives you no advantage.

 

At the time they printed, carved or wrote the letter 's' so that it looks to us like an 'f'.

Edited July 4, 2010 by rubydazzler

[rubydazzler 11]

"While nature's wants the well earn'd bread supplies

Earning a living by working hard supplies you with all your bodily needs

The Oppressor's Grandeur and his Power dispise

Don't envy the people who are in power and influence over you

For what avails, when laid with Mother Earth

Nothing helps you when you're in the grave

Tove boafred once of Title, Wealth or Birth

Even if you were proud of your status and your money

Worldly Distinction vanishes with breath

All fame, fortune and talent die with you

But good Men's glory, only dawns with Death"

You only achieve your true worth when you've died and gone to Heaven after having lived a good honest life

 

That's my interpretation of the verse, and it might even have been penned by your own gggggggg-grandfather, as advice to his descendents. I like it!

[Ghozer 113]

that makes perfect sense actually ruby

 

*claps*

[rubydazzler 11]

hehe, I knew that my O level in Eng.Lit. would come in handy one day ... today's the day!!

[Lou 10]

Great! Thanks for your replies. You've given me some more food for thought.

 

I thought it was quite a nice piece. I hope he would be pleased that his 8 times great granddaughter is reading it 244 years later!

 

I was never very interested in family history but my Mum has been heavily researching ours for quite a few years now. However, I've started to become much more interested in it recently. It's all my Mums hard work that she's found his gravestone. I'll pass onto her what you've written!

[Longcol 610]

It sounds as if it could be a hymn from the era - perhaps Methodist given the date?

[Lou 10]

Yeah I was thinking that it sounded somewhat religious (hence why I looked through 150 psalms!). So it could possibly be a hymn perhaps. Now, where might I find an 18th century hymn book?!

 

I think the church he is buried in is an Anglican church.

 

I'm not going to stop until I've exhausted all avenues of investigation and then I'll conclude that perhaps he wrote it himself before his death or his family wrote it for him.

Edited July 5, 2010 by Lou

[Longcol 610]

Yeah I was thinking that it sounded somewhat religious (hence why I looked through 150 psalms!). So it could possibly be a hymn perhaps. Now, where might I find an 18th century hymn book?!

 

I think the church he is buried in is an Anglican church.

 

I'm not going to stop until I've exhausted all avenues of investigation and then I'll conclude that perhaps he wrote it himself before his death or his family wrote it for him.

 

From this it would appear an explosion in the use of hymns and a number of hymnbooks in use around the time you're looking at.

 

http://christianmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/history_of_the_christian_hymn

 

Might have been from a hymn book which has long since disappeared. I'd start by asking the vicar at the church where your 8 x great grandfather is buried if they've some really old hymn books you could have a look through.

[DUFFEMS 56]

This is written on the gravestone of my 8 times great Grandfather who was born in 1714 and died in 1766.

 

I'm not even 100% sure it's a poem by a real poet or whether it was something his immediate family wrote when he died. However, from what I vaguely remember from school, is it written in iambic pentameter?!

 

Does anyone recognize this:

 

"While nature's wants the well earn'd bread supplies

The Oppressor's Grandeur and his Power dispise

For what avails, when laid with Mother Earth

Tove boafred once of Title, Wealth or Birth

Worldly Distinction vanishes with breath

But good Men's glory, only dawns with Death"

 

I've tried googling it to no avail. I've tried looking at works of 18th century poets and not found anything yet. I've even looked through 150 psalms at the end of a copy of the New Testament and Psalms that I have (incidentally I'm not religious, I was given it in school!).

 

Any help would be gratefully received as I can't seem to give up trying to work this out!

 

Have you posted it here where there are several people who are quite knowledgeable about MI:

http://www.sheffieldindexers.com