William Wordsworth Tintern Abbey

7/25/2019 William Wordsworth Tintern Abbey

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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


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When these wild e6stasies shall be mat*red

nto a sober 3leas*re4 when thy mind

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William Wordsworth Tintern Abbey