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EBOOK POEMS OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT***
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Thomas Hardy - Poems of the Past and Present
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LONG have I framed weak phantasies of Thee,
O Willer masked and dumb!
Who makest Life become,--
As though by labouring all-unknowingly,
Like one whom reveries numb.
How much of consciousness informs Thy will
Thy biddings, as if blind,
Of death-inducing kind,
Nought shows to us ephemeral ones who fill
But moments in Thy mind.
Perhaps Thy ancient rote-restricted ways
Thy ripening rule transcends;
That listless effort tends
To grow percipient with advance of days,
And with percipience mends.
For, in unwonted purlieus, far and nigh,
At whiles or short or long,
May be discerned a wrong
Dying as of self-slaughter; whereat I
Would raise my voice in song.
FOOTNOTES
{253} The "Race" is the turbulent sea-area off the Bill of Portland,
where contrary tides meet.
{290} Pronounce "Loddy. "
{457} On a lonely table-land above the Vale of Blackmore, between
High-Stoy and Bubb-Down hills, and commanding in clear weather views that
extend from the English to the Bristol Channel, stands a pillar,
apparently mediaeval, called Cross-and-Hand or Christ-in-Hand. Among
other stories of its origin a local tradition preserves the one here
given.
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POEMS OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT***
******* This file should be named 3168-0. txt or 3168-0. zip *******
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http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/3/1/6/3168
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LONG have I framed weak phantasies of Thee,
O Willer masked and dumb!
Who makest Life become,--
As though by labouring all-unknowingly,
Like one whom reveries numb.
How much of consciousness informs Thy will
Thy biddings, as if blind,
Of death-inducing kind,
Nought shows to us ephemeral ones who fill
But moments in Thy mind.
Perhaps Thy ancient rote-restricted ways
Thy ripening rule transcends;
That listless effort tends
To grow percipient with advance of days,
And with percipience mends.
For, in unwonted purlieus, far and nigh,
At whiles or short or long,
May be discerned a wrong
Dying as of self-slaughter; whereat I
Would raise my voice in song.
FOOTNOTES
{253} The "Race" is the turbulent sea-area off the Bill of Portland,
where contrary tides meet.
{290} Pronounce "Loddy. "
{457} On a lonely table-land above the Vale of Blackmore, between
High-Stoy and Bubb-Down hills, and commanding in clear weather views that
extend from the English to the Bristol Channel, stands a pillar,
apparently mediaeval, called Cross-and-Hand or Christ-in-Hand. Among
other stories of its origin a local tradition preserves the one here
given.
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POEMS OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT***
******* This file should be named 3168-0. txt or 3168-0. zip *******
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/3/1/6/3168
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U. S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you! ) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
not protected by U. S. copyright law.
