The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

Alas, poor Book! for thy unworthiness,
           To show to her some pleasant meanings writ
           In winning words, since through her gentiless, [5]        300
           Thee she accepts as for her service fit!
           Oh! it repents me I have neither wit
           Nor leisure unto thee more worth to give;
           For of all good she is the best alive.

           Beseech her meekly with all lowliness,                    305
           Though I be far from her I reverence,
           To think upon my truth and stedfastness,
           And to abridge my sorrow's violence,
           Caused by the wish, as knows your sapience,
           She of her liking proof to me would give;                 310
           For of all good she is the best alive.

L'ENVOY    Pleasure's Aurora, Day of gladsomeness!
           Luna by night, with heavenly influence
           Illumined! root of beauty and goodnesse,
           Write, and allay, by your beneficence,                    315
           My sighs breathed forth in silence,--comfort give!
           Since of all good, you are the best alive.

                           EXPLICIT



       *       *       *       *       *


VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: In 1819 Wordsworth wrote the opening stanza of his version
of 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale', in the album of Mrs. Calvert at
Keswick, thus:

  'The God of Love--ah, benedicite!'
  How mighty and how great a Lord is He!
  High can he make the heart that's low and poor,
  And high hearts low--through pains that they endure,
  And hard hearts, He can make them kind and free.

  W. W., Nov. 27, 1819.]


[Variant 2:

1842.

  ... have heard ...     1841.]


[Variant 3:

1842

  ... sorrow's ...     1841.]


[Variant 4:

1842.

  ... gentleness ...    1841.]


[Variant 5:

1842.

  ... gentleness, ...      1841.]



       *       *       *       *       *


FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: The following extracts from Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal
show the date of the composition of this poem.

  "Sunday, 6th December 1801. A very fine beautiful sun-shiny morning.
  William worked a while at Chaucer; then he set forward to walk into
  Easdale.... In the afternoon I read Chaucer aloud."

  "Monday, 7th.... William at work with Chaucer, 'The God of Love'...."

  "8th November ... William worked at 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale'
  till he was tired."

  "Wednesday, December 9th. I read 'Palemon and Arcite', William writing
  out his alterations of Chaucer's 'Cuckoo and Nightingale'."

The question as to whether 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale' was written
by Chaucer or not, may be solved either way without affecting the
literary value of Wordsworth's "modernisation" of it.--Ed.]


[Footnote B: In 'The Poems of Geoffrey Chaucer Modernised'.--Ed.]


[Footnote C:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)Wordsworth, William

General

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

Alas, poor Book! for thy unworthiness,
           To show to her some pleasant meanings writ
           In winning words, since through her gentiless, [5]        300
           Thee she accepts as for her service fit!
           Oh! it repents me I have neither wit
           Nor leisure unto thee more worth to give;
           For of all good she is the best alive.

           Beseech her meekly with all lowliness,                    305
           Though I be far from her I reverence,
           To think upon my truth and stedfastness,
           And to abridge my sorrow's violence,
           Caused by the wish, as knows your sapience,
           She of her liking proof to me would give;                 310
           For of all good she is the best alive.

L'ENVOY    Pleasure's Aurora, Day of gladsomeness!
           Luna by night, with heavenly influence
           Illumined! root of beauty and goodnesse,
           Write, and allay, by your beneficence,                    315
           My sighs breathed forth in silence,--comfort give!
           Since of all good, you are the best alive.

                           EXPLICIT



       *       *       *       *       *


VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: In 1819 Wordsworth wrote the opening stanza of his version
of 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale', in the album of Mrs. Calvert at
Keswick, thus:

  'The God of Love--ah, benedicite!'
  How mighty and how great a Lord is He!
  High can he make the heart that's low and poor,
  And high hearts low--through pains that they endure,
  And hard hearts, He can make them kind and free.

  W. W., Nov. 27, 1819.]


[Variant 2:

1842.

  ... have heard ...     1841.]


[Variant 3:

1842

  ... sorrow's ...     1841.]


[Variant 4:

1842.

  ... gentleness ...    1841.]


[Variant 5:

1842.

  ... gentleness, ...      1841.]



       *       *       *       *       *


FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

[Footnote A: The following extracts from Dorothy Wordsworth's Journal
show the date of the composition of this poem.

  "Sunday, 6th December 1801. A very fine beautiful sun-shiny morning.
  William worked a while at Chaucer; then he set forward to walk into
  Easdale.... In the afternoon I read Chaucer aloud."

  "Monday, 7th.... William at work with Chaucer, 'The God of Love'...."

  "8th November ... William worked at 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale'
  till he was tired."

  "Wednesday, December 9th. I read 'Palemon and Arcite', William writing
  out his alterations of Chaucer's 'Cuckoo and Nightingale'."

The question as to whether 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale' was written
by Chaucer or not, may be solved either way without affecting the
literary value of Wordsworth's "modernisation" of it.--Ed.]


[Footnote B: In 'The Poems of Geoffrey Chaucer Modernised'.--Ed.]


[Footnote C:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 2 (of 8)

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