Characters from Life; Or, Moral Hints. In Verse

audiobook

Characters from Life; Or, Moral Hints. In Verse

by James Parkerson

EN·~33 minutes·14 chapters

Chapters

14 total
1

Transcribed from the early 1800’s edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org. Many thanks to Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, UK, for kindly supplying the images from which this transcription was made.

0:20
2

CHARACTERS FROM LIFE;

0:33
3

ADMONITIONS to the DISSIPATED.

3:59
4

on viewing the CATTLE MARKET on the castle hill.

3:55
5

THE LION and the ORANGE GROVE.

1:59
6

THE CONVICT’S FAREWELL.

4:38
7

ADVICE, &c.

4:45
8

an address TO A MAN OF THE WORLD.

2:40
9

SERIOUS REFLECTIONS.

1:39
10

an address TO CALISTA, Taken from life.

1:17

Description

A modest collection of early‑nineteenth‑century verses, this work offers a string of everyday moral sketches aimed at readers of all stations. In lively, almost conversational rhyme it warns against the perils of overindulgence, explains how a drunken excess can turn friend into foe, and urges modesty and self‑control. The poet’s voice moves from the bustling cattle market to humble farmhouses, painting vivid scenes that feel both familiar and instructive.

Interwoven with these cautionary tales are gentle addresses to a “Man of the World” and to a young woman named Calista, each piece urging thoughtful reflection on ambition, love, and responsibility. The language is plain yet musical, making the advice feel like a neighbor’s counsel rather than a sermon. Listeners will find a charming snapshot of rural and urban life, where humor and earnestness combine to remind us that good sense often lies in the simplest choices.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~33 minutes (32K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

2010-05-06

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

JP

James Parkerson

An early 19th-century English poet from Norwich, he is remembered for moral and occasional verse that captures everyday life, public feeling, and social warning. His surviving poems, now preserved in digital libraries, offer a small but vivid glimpse of a once-obscure literary voice.

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