English Poetry III: From Tennyson to Whitman. The Harvard Classics. 190914. |
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633. Viviens Song |
| Alfred, Lord Tennyson (18091892) |
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IN Love, if Love be Love, if Love be ours, | |
Faith and unfaith can neer be equal powers: | |
Unfaith in aught is want of faith in all. | |
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It is the little rift within the lute, | |
That by and by will make the music mute, | 5 |
And ever widening slowly silence all. | |
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The little rift within the lovers lute | |
Or little pitted speck in garnered fruit, | |
That rotting inward slowly moulders all. | |
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It is not worth the keeping: let it go: | 10 |
But shall it? answer, darling, answer, no. | |
And trust me not at all or all in all. | |
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