Did life's penurious length 1
Italicize its sweetness,
The men that daily live
Would stand so deep in joy
That it would clog the cogs 5
Of that revolving reason
Whose esoteric belt
Protects our sanity.
Italicize its sweetness,
The men that daily live
Would stand so deep in joy
That it would clog the cogs 5
Of that revolving reason
Whose esoteric belt
Protects our sanity.
(F.1751/J.1717)
[1, 7] life, belt:: a life-belt to keep a person floating in the water.
[1] penurious length:: a length to fit the body exactly.
[2] Italicize:: to underline a word; a man's life-belt like a word's underline to emphasize its importance.
[5] clog:: to put weight on one's body. cogs:: small boats.
[7] esoteric:: known only by few, the importance of a life-belt.
[8] Protects:: the purpose of the life-belt.
It is a notorious fact that too many of these vessels have not a single appliance, such as a life-belt or a life-buoy, to save life in case of an emergency. ─ The Baptist Magazine (1858)
The Nautilus Life Belt consists of a silk or linen case, varying in length from 4 to 6 feet, and about 15 inches circumference, which is rendered impervious to air and water by a thick lining of Forster's patent waterproof varnish. ─ The Sportsman's Magazine of Life in London and the Country (1845)