There was also the curious physiological epic of Phineas Fletcher, "The Purple Island" (1633). But on the whole, it was not until French influences had made themselves felt on English poetry that description, as Boileau conceived it, was cultivated as a distinct art. The "Coopers Hill" (1642) by Sir John Denham may be contrasted with the less ambitious "To Penshurst" of Ben Jonson and this one represents the new no less completely than the other does the old generation. If, however, "Coopers Hill" is examined carefully, it is perceived that its aim is after all rather philosophical than topographical. The Thames is described indeed, but not very minutely and the poet is mainly absorbed in moral reflections.