O most
ambitious
Star!
William Wordsworth
--I.
F.
]
This was No. XIII. of "Moods of my own Mind," in the edition of 1807. It
was afterwards included among the "Poems of the Imagination. "--Ed.
It is no Spirit who from heaven hath flown,
And is descending on his embassy;
Nor Traveller gone from earth the heavens to espy!
'Tis Hesperus--there he stands with glittering crown,
First admonition that the sun is down! 5
For yet it is broad day-light: clouds pass by;
A few are near him still--and now the sky,
He hath it to himself--'tis all his own.
O most ambitious Star! an inquest wrought
Within me when I recognised thy light; 10
A moment I was startled at the sight:
And, while I gazed, there came to me a thought
That I might step beyond my natural race
As thou seem'st now to do; might one day trace [1]
Some ground not mine; and, strong her strength above, 15
My Soul, an Apparition in the place,
Tread there with steps that no one shall reprove! [A]
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1: 1807.
O most ambitious Star! an inquest wrought
Within me when I recognised thy light;
A moment I was startled at the sight:
And, while I gazed, there came to me a thought
That even I beyond my natural race
Might step as thou dost now: might one day trace 1815.
O most ambitious Star! thy Presence brought
A startling recollection to my mind
Of the distinguished few among mankind,
Who dare to step beyond their natural race,
As thou seem'st now to do:--nor was a thought
Denied--that even I might one day trace 1820.
The text of 1836 returns to that of 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: Professor Dowden directs attention to the relation between
these lines and the poem beginning "If thou indeed derive thy light from
Heaven. "--Ed. ]
* * * * *
MEMORIALS OF A TOUR IN SCOTLAND
1803
These poems were first collected, under the above title, in the edition
of 1827. In 1807, nine of them--viz. 'Rob Roy's Grave', 'The Solitary
Reaper', 'Stepping Westward', 'Glen Almain, or, The Narrow Glen', 'The
Matron of Jedborough and her Husband', 'To a Highland Girl', 'Sonnet',
'To the Sons of Burns after visiting the Grave of their Father', 'Yarrow
Unvisited',--were printed under the title, "Poems written during a Tour
in Scotland. " This group begins the second volume of the edition of that
year. But in 1815 and 1820--when Wordsworth began to arrange his poems
in groups--they were distributed with the rest of the series in the
several artificial sections. Although some were composed after the Tour
was finished--and the order in which Wordsworth placed them is not the
order of the Scotch Tour itself--it is advisable to keep to his own
method of arrangement in dealing with this particular group, for the
same reason that we retain it in such a series as the Duddon
Sonnets. --Ed.
* * * * *
DEPARTURE FROM THE VALE OF GRASMERE. AUGUST, 1803 [A]
Composed 1811. --Published 1827
[Mr. Coleridge, my sister, and myself started together from Town-end to
make a tour in Scotland.
This was No. XIII. of "Moods of my own Mind," in the edition of 1807. It
was afterwards included among the "Poems of the Imagination. "--Ed.
It is no Spirit who from heaven hath flown,
And is descending on his embassy;
Nor Traveller gone from earth the heavens to espy!
'Tis Hesperus--there he stands with glittering crown,
First admonition that the sun is down! 5
For yet it is broad day-light: clouds pass by;
A few are near him still--and now the sky,
He hath it to himself--'tis all his own.
O most ambitious Star! an inquest wrought
Within me when I recognised thy light; 10
A moment I was startled at the sight:
And, while I gazed, there came to me a thought
That I might step beyond my natural race
As thou seem'st now to do; might one day trace [1]
Some ground not mine; and, strong her strength above, 15
My Soul, an Apparition in the place,
Tread there with steps that no one shall reprove! [A]
* * * * *
VARIANT ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1: 1807.
O most ambitious Star! an inquest wrought
Within me when I recognised thy light;
A moment I was startled at the sight:
And, while I gazed, there came to me a thought
That even I beyond my natural race
Might step as thou dost now: might one day trace 1815.
O most ambitious Star! thy Presence brought
A startling recollection to my mind
Of the distinguished few among mankind,
Who dare to step beyond their natural race,
As thou seem'st now to do:--nor was a thought
Denied--that even I might one day trace 1820.
The text of 1836 returns to that of 1807. ]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: Professor Dowden directs attention to the relation between
these lines and the poem beginning "If thou indeed derive thy light from
Heaven. "--Ed. ]
* * * * *
MEMORIALS OF A TOUR IN SCOTLAND
1803
These poems were first collected, under the above title, in the edition
of 1827. In 1807, nine of them--viz. 'Rob Roy's Grave', 'The Solitary
Reaper', 'Stepping Westward', 'Glen Almain, or, The Narrow Glen', 'The
Matron of Jedborough and her Husband', 'To a Highland Girl', 'Sonnet',
'To the Sons of Burns after visiting the Grave of their Father', 'Yarrow
Unvisited',--were printed under the title, "Poems written during a Tour
in Scotland. " This group begins the second volume of the edition of that
year. But in 1815 and 1820--when Wordsworth began to arrange his poems
in groups--they were distributed with the rest of the series in the
several artificial sections. Although some were composed after the Tour
was finished--and the order in which Wordsworth placed them is not the
order of the Scotch Tour itself--it is advisable to keep to his own
method of arrangement in dealing with this particular group, for the
same reason that we retain it in such a series as the Duddon
Sonnets. --Ed.
* * * * *
DEPARTURE FROM THE VALE OF GRASMERE. AUGUST, 1803 [A]
Composed 1811. --Published 1827
[Mr. Coleridge, my sister, and myself started together from Town-end to
make a tour in Scotland.
