Tuesday, April 1, 2008

God’s Grandeur
Gerard Manly Hopkins

 
THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

4 comments:

Radagast said...

Ah, yes. Gerard Manley Hopkins. A great classic -- thanks for sharing it.

Laura's Dad said...

A HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER.
by John Donne


I.
WILT Thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

II.
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

III.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore ;
But swear by Thyself, that at my death Thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore ;
And having done that, Thou hast done ;
I fear no more.

Pablo said...

Sorry to bring down the highbrow, spiritual tone of the post, but I wanted to let you know that Kate has joined the Bring Laura Down Under crusade! And you can stay at our place: I'll take the guest room and you can have my sheepskin-lined basket, or my sleeping place on the spare mattress under Nick and Kate's bed. It'll be swell... that's what you Americans say, isn't it? Swell?

Laura said...

Hooray Pabs! It's awful nice of you to volunteer your lovely bed.