--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd…" description: "\"Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard: To carry nature lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, ask'd ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png" --- # Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the… ![“Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard: To carry nature lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, ask'd ages more.” quote by William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png) > “Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard: To carry nature lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, ask'd ages more.” [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poem reflects on the passage of time before great works and discoveries emerge. **In simple terms:** Great works take ages to appear. Key Takeaway Patience precedes achievement. Themes time patience creativity Mood contemplative inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - research projects - artistic creation - long‑term goals Key Concepts historical perspective literary allusion Questions to Reflect On - What does waiting teach you? - How can you balance patience with initiative? A Different Perspective Not all waiting leads to progress; action may be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Ages Elapsed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages-elapsed-3660636/) [Ages Ere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages-ere-3660635/) [Appear Ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appear-ages-3660637/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Lamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lamps/) [Length](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/length/) [Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milton/) [Milton Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milton-birth-3660638/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Swans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swans/) [Unknown Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknown-milton-3660639/) ## Related quotes > [Greece, sound, thy Homer's, Rome thy Virgil's name, But England's Milton equals both in fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/greece-sound-thy-homer-s-rome-thy-virgil-s-name-but-england-s-milton/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Open-mindedness should not be fostered because, as Scripture teaches, Truth is great and will prevail, nor because, as Milton suggests, Truth will always win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rorty/open-mindedness-should-not-be-fostered-because-as-scripture-teaches/) [Richard Rorty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rorty/) > [All great economists are tall. 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It's easy. Quote him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-is-a-fascist-it-s-easy-quote/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heaven. MILTON”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-mind-is-its-own-place-and-in-itself-can-make-a-heav-n-of-hell-a/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Formerly Milton's Paradise Lost had been my chief favourite, and in my excursions during the voyage of the Beagle, when I could take only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/formerly-milton-s-paradise-lost-had-been-my-chief-favourite-and-in-my/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [May the soul of the late President Milton Obote... a long-time member of this parliament, rest in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoweri-museveni/may-the-soul-of-the-late-president-milton-obote-a-long-time-member-of/) [Yoweri Museveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoweri-museveni/) ## More by William Cowper > [And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pretence-till-perjuries-are/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [No wild enthusiast could rest, till half the world like him was possessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/no-wild-enthusiast-could-rest-till-half-the-world-like-him-was/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Admirals extolled for standing still, or doing nothing with a deal of skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/admirals-extolled-for-standing-still-or-doing-nothing-with-a-deal-of/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“The good we never miss we rarely prize”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-good-we-never-miss-we-rarely-prize/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Thus happiness depends, as nature shows, less on exterior things than most suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/thus-happiness-depends-as-nature-shows-less-on-exterior-things-than/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Stamps God's own name upon a lie just made, To turn a penny in the way of trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/stamps-god-s-own-name-upon-a-lie-just-made-to-turn-a-penny-in-the-way/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But oars alone can ne'er prevail To reach the distant coast; The breath of Heaven must swell the sail, Or all the toil is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-oars-alone-can-ne-er-prevail-to-reach-the-distant-coast-the/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God"...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/nature-is-but-a-name-for-an-effect-whose-cause-is-god/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But conversation, choose what theme we may, And chiefly when religion leads the way, Should flow, like waters after summer show'rs, Not as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-conversation-choose-what-theme-we-may-and-chiefly-when-religion/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Remorse, the fatal egg that pleasure laid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/remorse-the-fatal-egg-that-pleasure-laid/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“When we don't pray, we quit the fight. Prayer keeps the Christian's armor bright. And Satan trembles when he sees. 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He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard: To carry nature lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, ask'd ages more.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Cowper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-and-ages-ere-the-mantuan-swan/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-and-ages-ere-the-mantuan-swan/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/william-cowper-779_age_ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-a_410442.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard: To carry nature lengths…” — William Cowper", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Cowper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-and-ages-ere-the-mantuan-swan/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ages-elapsed-ere-homer-s-lamp-appear-d-and-ages-ere-the-mantuan-swan/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```