| Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–89). Poems. 1918. |
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| 35. Ribblesdale |
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| EARTH, sweet Earth, sweet landscape, with leavés throng | |
| And louchéd low grass, heaven that dost appeal | |
| To, with no tongue to plead, no heart to feel; | |
| That canst but only be, but dost that long— | |
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| Thou canst but be, but that thou well dost; strong | 5 |
| Thy plea with him who dealt, nay does now deal, | |
| Thy lovely dale down thus and thus bids reel | |
| Thy river, and o’er gives all to rack or wrong. | |
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| And what is Earth’s eye, tongue, or heart else, where | |
| Else, but in dear and dogged man?—Ah, the heir | 10 |
| To his own selfbent so bound, so tied to his turn, | |
| To thriftless reave both our rich round world bare | |
| And none reck of world after, this bids wear | |
| Earth brows of such care, care and dear concern. | |
| | | See Notes. |
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