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William Wordsworth(1770-1850)
"Tintern Abbey"
[Lines Written A Few iles Abo!e Tintern Abbey
#n $e!isitin% The &an's # The Wye*rin% a To*r+ ,*ly 1
17.8+/
F2 years ha!e 3ast4 i!e s*mmers with the len%th
# i!e lon% winters and a%ain hear
These waters rollin% rom their mo*ntain-s3rin%s
With a sot inland m*rm*r+ -- #n6e a%ain
o behold these stee3 and loty 6lis
That on a wild se6l*ded s6ene im3ress
Tho*%hts o more dee3 se6l*sion4 and 6onne6t
The lands6a3e with the *iet o the s'y+The day is 6ome when a%ain
re3ose
ere *nder this dar' sy6amore and !iew
These 3lots o 6otta%e-%ro*nd these or6hard-t*ts
Whi6h at this season with their *nri3e r*its
Are 6lad in one %reen h*e and lose themsel!es
9id %ro!es and 6o3ses+ #n6e a%ain see
These hed%e-rows hardly hed%e-rows little lines
# s3orti!e wood r*n wild: these 3astoral arms
;reen to the !ery door4 and wreaths o smo'e
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# all this *nintelli%ible world
s li%htened: -- that serene and blessed mood
n whi6h the ae6tions %ently lead *s on --
>ntil the breath o this 6or3oreal rame
And e!en the motion o o*r h*man blood
Almost s*s3ended we are laid aslee3n body and be6ome a li!in%
so*l:
While with an eye made *iet by the 3ower
# harmony and the dee3 3ower o ?oy
We see into the lie o thin%s+
this
&e b*t a !ain belie yet oh how ot --
n dar'ness and amid the many sha3es
# ?oyless dayli%ht4 when the ret*l stir
>n3roitable and the e!er o the world
a!e h*n% *3on the beatin%s o my heart --
ow ot in s3irit ha!e t*rned to thee# syl!an Wye tho* wanderer
thro9 the woods
ow oten has my s3irit t*rned to thee
And now with %leams o hal-e@tin%*ished tho*%ht
With many re6o%nitions dim and aint
And somewhat o a sad 3er3le@ity
The 3i6t*re o the mind re!i!es a%ain:
While here stand not only with the sense
# 3resent 3leas*re b*t with 3leasin% tho*%hts
That in this moment there is lie and ood
For *t*re years+ And so dare to ho3e
Tho*%h 6han%ed no do*bt rom what was when irst
6ame amon% these hills4 when li'e a roe
bo*nded o9er the mo*ntains by the sides
# the dee3 ri!ers and the lonely streams
Where!er nat*re led: more li'e a man
Flyin% rom somethin% that he dreads than one
Who so*%ht the thin% he lo!ed+ For nat*re then
(The 6oarser 3leas*res o my boyish days
And their %lad animal mo!ements all %one by)
To me was all in all+ -- 6annot 3aint
What then was+ The so*ndin% 6atara6ta*nted me li'e a 3assion:
the tall ro6'
The mo*ntain and the dee3 and %loomy wood
Their 6olo*rs and their orms were then to me
An a33etite4 a eelin% and a lo!e
That had no need o a remoter 6harm
&y tho*%ht s*33lied nor any interest
>nborrowed rom the eye+ -- That time is 3ast
And all its a6hin% ?oys are now no more
And all its diy ra3t*res+ =ot or this
Faint nor mo*rn nor m*rm*r other %its
a!e ollowed4 or s*6h loss wo*ld belie!eAb*ndant re6om3en6e+ For
ha!e learned
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To loo' on nat*re not as in the ho*r
# tho*%htless yo*th4 b*t hearin% otentimes
The still sad m*si6 o h*manity
=or harsh nor %ratin% tho*%h o am3le 3ower
To 6hasten and s*bd*e+ And ha!e elt
A 3resen6e that dist*rbs me with the ?oy# ele!ated tho*%hts4 a
sense s*blime
# somethin% ar more dee3ly inter*sed
Whose dwellin% is the li%ht o settin% s*ns
And the ro*nd o6ean and the li!in% air
And the bl*e s'y and in the mind o man4
A motion and a s3irit that im3els
All thin'in% thin%s all ob?e6ts o all tho*%ht
And rolls thro*%h all thin%s+ Thereore am still
A lo!er o the meadows and the woods
And mo*ntains4 and o all that we behold
From this %reen earth4 o all the mi%hty world# eye and ear --
both what they hal 6reate
And what 3er6ei!e4 well 3leased to re6o%nise
n nat*re and the lan%*a%e o the sense
The an6hor o my 3*rest tho*%hts the n*rse
The %*ide the %*ardian o my heart and so*l
# all my moral bein%+
=or 3er6han6e
were not th*s ta*%ht sho*ld the more
