“They saw their injured country's woe;
The flaming town, the wasted field;
Then rushed to meet the insulting foe;
They took the spear, - but left the shield.”
Here, where the world is quiet; ____ Here, where all trouble seems Dead winds' and spent waves' riot ____ In doubtful dreams of dreams; I watch the green field growing For reaping folk and sowing, For harvest-time and mowing, ____ A sleepy world of streams.
I am tired of tears and laughter, ____ And men that laugh and weep; Of what may come hereafter ____ For men that sow to reap: I am weary of days and hours, Blown buds of barren flowers, Desires and dreams and powers ____ And everything but sleep.
Here life has death for neighbour, ____ And far from eye or ear Wan waves and wet winds labour, ____ Weak ships and spirits steer; They drive adrift, and whither They wot not who make thither; But no such winds blow hither, ____ And no such things grow here.
No growth of moor or coppice, ____ No heather-flower or vine, But bloomless buds of poppies, ____ Green grapes of Proserpine, Pale beds of blowing rushes Where no leaf blooms or blushes Save this whereout she crushes ____ For dead men deadly wine.
Pale, without name or number, ____ In fruitless fields of corn, They bow themselves and slumber ____ All night till light is born; And like a soul belated, In hell and heaven unmated, By cloud and mist abated ____ Comes out of darkness morn.
Though one were strong as seven, ____ He too with death shall dwell, Nor wake with wings in heaven, ____ Nor weep for pains in hell; Though one were fair as roses, His beauty clouds and closes; And well though love reposes, ____ In the end it is not well.
Pale, beyond porch and portal, ____ Crowned with calm leaves, she stands Who gathers all things mortal ____ With cold immortal hands; Her languid lips are sweeter Than love's who fears to greet her To men that mix and meet her ____ From many times and lands.
She waits for each and other, ____ She waits for all men born; Forgets the earth her mother, ____ The life of fruits and corn; And spring and seed and swallow Take wing for her and follow Where summer song rings hollow ____ And flowers are put to scorn.
There go the loves that wither, ____ The old loves with wearier wings; And all dead years draw thither, ____ And all disastrous things; Dead dreams of days forsaken, Blind buds that snows have shaken, Wild leaves that winds have taken, ____ Red strays of ruined springs.
We are not sure of sorrow, ____ And joy was never sure; To-day will die to-morrow; ____ Time stoops to no man's lure; And love, grown faint and fretful, With lips but half regretful Sighs, and with eyes forgetful ____ Weeps that no loves endure.
From too much love of living, ____ From hope and fear set free, We thank with brief thanksgiving ____ Whatever gods may be That no life lives for ever; That dead men rise up never; That even the weariest river ____ Winds somewhere safe to sea.
Then star nor sun shall waken, ____ Nor any change of light: Nor sound of waters shaken, ____ Nor any sound or sight: Nor wintry leaves nor vernal, Nor days nor things diurnal; Only the sleep eternal ____ In an eternal night.
~ Algernon C. Swinburne (1837-1909)
[NOTE: Swinburne, apparently, was either quite sure that God did not exist, that our existence had no meaning, that we were not respnsible or accountable for our deeds, and that death was absolutely, irrevocably final - OR - he desperately wanted that to be so. I what, if anything, he discovered when he exchanged this life for Eternity in 1909?]
Frankly I find the earnest woman with the breathless, high-pitched voice irritating because of her own, apparent, certainty that uncertainty should be decleared The New Orthodoxy.
Reminds me of the imbeciles who currently dwell on "Sexual Harassment" as the root of all evil.
I'm way of fanatics and would-be authoritarians of any kind –– particularly those who presume to know enough to set rigid uniform standards by which they would insist others must live –– or else.
OR ELSE is an idiom here in the states. I don't know whether it is in Britain. It's simply an implied threat, usually not very serious.
You clean up your room this minute, Junior –– or ELSE!
In this case "OR ELSE" might mean any number of things dependng n the age of the child such as
1. there'll be no dinner for you tonight 2. you'll get no allowance for the next two weeks. 3. you won't be allowed to go to the movies this weekend. 4. you'll get the spanking of your life. 5. you'll get no dessert for a ingots. 6. your father won't let you borrow the car to take Prunella to the prom.
____ The Garden of Proserpine ____
ReplyDeleteHere, where the world is quiet;
____ Here, where all trouble seems
Dead winds' and spent waves' riot
____ In doubtful dreams of dreams;
I watch the green field growing
For reaping folk and sowing,
For harvest-time and mowing,
____ A sleepy world of streams.
I am tired of tears and laughter,
____ And men that laugh and weep;
Of what may come hereafter
____ For men that sow to reap:
I am weary of days and hours,
Blown buds of barren flowers,
Desires and dreams and powers
____ And everything but sleep.
Here life has death for neighbour,
____ And far from eye or ear
Wan waves and wet winds labour,
____ Weak ships and spirits steer;
They drive adrift, and whither
They wot not who make thither;
But no such winds blow hither,
____ And no such things grow here.
No growth of moor or coppice,
____ No heather-flower or vine,
But bloomless buds of poppies,
____ Green grapes of Proserpine,
Pale beds of blowing rushes
Where no leaf blooms or blushes
Save this whereout she crushes
____ For dead men deadly wine.
Pale, without name or number,
____ In fruitless fields of corn,
They bow themselves and slumber
____ All night till light is born;
And like a soul belated,
In hell and heaven unmated,
By cloud and mist abated
____ Comes out of darkness morn.
Though one were strong as seven,
____ He too with death shall dwell,
Nor wake with wings in heaven,
____ Nor weep for pains in hell;
Though one were fair as roses,
His beauty clouds and closes;
And well though love reposes,
____ In the end it is not well.
Pale, beyond porch and portal,
____ Crowned with calm leaves, she stands
Who gathers all things mortal
____ With cold immortal hands;
Her languid lips are sweeter
Than love's who fears to greet her
To men that mix and meet her
____ From many times and lands.
She waits for each and other,
____ She waits for all men born;
Forgets the earth her mother,
____ The life of fruits and corn;
And spring and seed and swallow
Take wing for her and follow
Where summer song rings hollow
____ And flowers are put to scorn.
There go the loves that wither,
____ The old loves with wearier wings;
And all dead years draw thither,
____ And all disastrous things;
Dead dreams of days forsaken,
Blind buds that snows have shaken,
Wild leaves that winds have taken,
____ Red strays of ruined springs.
We are not sure of sorrow,
____ And joy was never sure;
To-day will die to-morrow;
____ Time stoops to no man's lure;
And love, grown faint and fretful,
With lips but half regretful
Sighs, and with eyes forgetful
____ Weeps that no loves endure.
From too much love of living,
____ From hope and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
____ Whatever gods may be
That no life lives for ever;
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
____ Winds somewhere safe to sea.
Then star nor sun shall waken,
____ Nor any change of light:
Nor sound of waters shaken,
____ Nor any sound or sight:
Nor wintry leaves nor vernal,
Nor days nor things diurnal;
Only the sleep eternal
____ In an eternal night.
~ Algernon C. Swinburne (1837-1909)
[NOTE: Swinburne, apparently, was either quite sure that God did not exist, that our existence had no meaning, that we were not respnsible or accountable for our deeds, and that death was absolutely, irrevocably final - OR - he desperately wanted that to be so. I what, if anything, he discovered when he exchanged this life for Eternity in 1909?]
Frankly I find the earnest woman with the breathless, high-pitched voice irritating because of her own, apparent, certainty that uncertainty should be decleared The New Orthodoxy.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the imbeciles who currently dwell on "Sexual Harassment" as the root of all evil.
I'm way of fanatics and would-be authoritarians of any kind –– particularly those who presume to know enough to set rigid uniform standards by which they would insist others must live –– or else.
"else" is a preposition, off with his head.
ReplyDeleteStop harrassing me!
ReplyDeleteI know, you can't help yourselves...
ReplyDeleteOR ELSE is an idiom here in the states. I don't know whether it is in Britain. It's simply an implied threat, usually not very serious.
ReplyDeleteYou clean up your room this minute, Junior –– or ELSE!
In this case "OR ELSE" might mean any number of things dependng n the age of the child such as
1. there'll be no dinner for you tonight
2. you'll get no allowance for the next two weeks.
3. you won't be allowed to go to the movies this weekend.
4. you'll get the spanking of your life.
5. you'll get no dessert for a ingots.
6. your father won't let you borrow the car to take Prunella to the prom.
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