Who is Martin Farquhar Tupper

Martin Farquhar Tupper (17 July 1810 in London – 29 November 1889 in Albury, Surrey) was an English writer, and poet, and the author of Proverbial Philosophy.

Early life

Martin Farquar was the eldest son of Dr. Martin Tupper (1780–1844), a medical man highly esteemed in his day, who came from an old Guernsey family, by his wife Ellin Devis Marris (d. 1847), only child of Robert Marris (1749–1827), a landscape painter (by his wife Frances, daughter of the artist Arthur Devis).

Martin Tupper received his early education at Charterhouse. In due course he was transferred to Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree of B.A. in 1832, of M.A. in 1835 and of DCL in 1847. At Christ Church, as a member of the Aristotle Class, he was a fellow student with...
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Martin Farquhar Tupper Poems

  • Of Anticipation. From Proverbial Philosophy
    Thou hast seen many sorrows, travel-stained pilgrim of the world.
    But that which hath vexed thee most hath been the looking for evil;
    And though calamities have crossed thee, and misery been heaped on thy head,
    Yet ills, that never happened, have chiefly made thee wretched. ...
  • Of Truth In Things False. From Proverbial Philosophy
    Error is a hardy plant; it flourisheth in every soil;
    In the heart of the wise and good, alike with the wicked and foolish.
    For there is no error so crooked, but it hath in it some lines of truth:
    Nor is any poison so deadly, that it serveth not some wholesome use: ...
  • Of Hidden Uses. From Proverbial Philosophy
    The sea-wort floating on the waves, or rolled up high along the shore,
    Ye counted useless and vile, heaping on it names of contempt:
    Yet hath it gloriously triumphed, and man been humbled in his ignorance,
    For health is in the fresliness of its savour, and it cumbereth the beach with wealth; ...
  • Of Recreation. From Proverbial Philosophy
    To join advantage to amusement, to gather profit with pleasure,
    Is the wise man's necessary aim, when he lieth in the shade of recreation.
    For he cannot fling aside his mind, nor bar up the floodgates of his wisdom;
    Yea, though he strain after folly, his mental monitor shall check him: ...
  • Of Compensation. From Proverbial Philosophy
    Equal is the government of heaven in allotting pleasures among men,
    And just the everlasting law, that hath wedded happiness to virtue:
    For verily on all things else broodeth disappointment with care,
    That childish man may be taught the shallowness of earthly enjoyment. ...
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Top 10 most used topics by Martin Farquhar Tupper

Soul 18 Mind 17 Spirit 17 Good 17 Earth 16 Reason 14 Deep 12 High 12 Thought 12 Small 10


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The Sea-Change
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Where river and ocean meet in a great tempestuous
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I will set my sail on a stormy day and cross the
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