before him then,
Underneath the light he looks at, in among the throngs of men; Men, my brothers, men the workers, ever reaping something new;
That which they have done but earnest0 of the things that they pledge
shall do. For I dipped into the future, far as human eye could see,
120 Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,'
Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales;
8. It was once believed that the firing of artillery (see also line 185). stilled the winds. 1. Probably airships, such as balloons. 'Argosies': 9. A happier past at life's beginning, which gen- merchant vessels, erated a more confident anticipation of the future
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LOCKSLEY HALL / 1133
Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rained a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue; 125 Far along the world-wide whisper of the south wind rushing warm,
With the standards of the peoples plunging through the thunderstorm; Till the war drum throbbed no longer, and the battle flags were furled
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world. There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe,
130 And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapped in? universal law. encompassed by So I triumphed ere my passion sweeping through me left me dry,
Left me with the palsied heart, and left me with the jaundiced eye; Eye, to which all order festers, all things here are out of joint.
Science moves, but slowly, slowly, creeping on from point to point; 135 Slowly comes a hungry people, as a lion, creeping nigher,
Glares at one that nods and winks behind a slowly-dying fire. Yet I doubt not through the ages one increasing purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men are widened with the process of the suns. What is that to him that reaps not harvest of his youthful joys,
140 Though the deep heart of existence beat forever like a boy's? Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and I linger on the shore,
And the individual withers, and the world is more and more. Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and he bears a laden breast,
Full of sad experience, moving toward the stillness of his rest. 145 Hark, my merry comrades call me, sounding on the bugle horn,
They to whom my foolish passion were a target for their scorn. Shall it not be scorn to me to harp on such a moldered string?
I am shamed through all my nature to have loved so slight a thing. Weakness to be wroth with weakness! woman's pleasure, woman's pain?
150 Nature made them blinder motions bounded in a shallower brain. Woman is the lesser man, and all thy passions, matched with mine,
Are as moonlight unto sunlight, and as water unto wine? Here at least, where nature sickens, nothing. Ah, for some retreat
Deep in yonder shining Orient, where my life began to beat.
155 Where in wild Mahratta-battle2 fell my father evil-starred? I was left a trampled orphan, and a selfish uncle's ward.
2. Reference to wars waged by a Hindu people against the British forces in India (1803 and 1817).
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1 138 / ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
Or to burst all links of habit?there to wander far away,
On from island unto island at the gateways of the day. Larger constellations burning, mellow moons and happy skies,
160 Breadths of tropic shade and palms in cluster, knots of Paradise.
Never comes the trader, never floats an European flag, Slides the bird o'er lustrous woodland, swings the trailer0 from the vine crag;
Droops the heavy-blossomed bower, hangs the heavy-fruited tree?
Summer isles of Eden lying in dark purple spheres of sea. 165 There methinks would be enjoyment more than in this march of mind,
In the steamship, in the railway, in the thoughts that shake mankind. There the passions cramped no longer shall have scope and breathing space;
I will take some savage woman, she shall rear my dusky race. Iron-jointed, supple-sinewed, they shall dive,
