Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The Worlds Best Poetry. Volume IV. The Higher Life. 1904. | | II. Prayer and Aspiration | Desire | Matthew Arnold (18221888) |
| THOU, who dost dwell alone; | |
Thou, who dost know thine own; | |
Thou, to whom all are known, | |
From the cradle to the grave, | |
Save, O, save! | 5 |
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From the worlds temptations; | |
From tribulations; | |
From that fierce anguish | |
Wherein we languish; | |
From that torpor deep | 10 |
Wherein we lie asleep, | |
Heavy as death, cold as the grave, | |
Save, O, save! | |
|
When the soul, growing clearer, | |
Sees God no nearer; | 15 |
When the soul, mounting higher, | |
To God comes no nigher; | |
But the arch-fiend Pride | |
Mounts at her side, | |
Foiling her high emprize, | 20 |
Sealing her eagle eyes, | |
And, when she fain would soar, | |
Make idols to adore; | |
Changing the pure emotion | |
Of her high devotion, | 25 |
To a skin-deep sense | |
Of her own eloquence; | |
Strong to deceive, strong to enslave, | |
Save, O, save! | |
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From the ingrained fashion | 30 |
Of this earthly nature | |
That mars thy creature; | |
From grief, that is but passion; | |
From mirth, that is but feigning; | |
From tears, that bring no healing; | 35 |
From wild and weak complaining; | |
Thine old strength revealing, | |
Save, O, save! | |
|
From doubt, where all is double, | |
Where wise men are not strong; | 40 |
Where comfort turns to trouble; | |
Where just men suffer wrong; | |
Where sorrow treads on joy; | |
Where sweet things soonest cloy; | |
Where faiths are built on dust; | 45 |
Where love is half mistrust, | |
Hungry, and barren, and sharp as the sea; | |
O, set us free! | |
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O, let the false dream fly | |
Where our sick souls do lie, | 50 |
Tossing continually. | |
O, where thy voice doth come, | |
Let all doubts be dumb; | |
Let all words be mild; | |
All strife be reconciled; | 55 |
All pains beguiled. | |
Light brings no blindness; | |
Love no unkindness; | |
Knowledge no ruin; | |
Fear no undoing, | 60 |
From the cradle to the grave, | |
Save, O, save! | | | |
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