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

My dear, dear Sister! and this prayer I make,
  Knowing that Nature never did betray                         125
  The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,
  Through all the years of this our life, to lead
  From joy to joy: for she can so inform
  The mind that is within us, so impress
  With quietness and beauty, and so feed                       130
  With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
  Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men,
  Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all
  The dreary intercourse of daily life,
  Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb                    135
  Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold
  Is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon
  Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;
  And let the misty mountain-winds be free
  To blow against thee: and, in after years,                   140
  When these wild ecstasies shall be matured
  Into a sober pleasure; when thy mind
  Shall be a mansion for all lovely forms,
  Thy memory be as a dwelling-place
  For all sweet sounds and harmonies; oh! then,                145
  If solitude, or fear, or pain, or grief,
  Should be thy portion, with what healing thoughts
  Of tender joy wilt thou remember me,
  And these my exhortations! Nor, perchance--
  If I should be where I no more can hear                      150
  Thy voice, nor catch from thy wild eyes these gleams
  Of past existence [B]--wilt thou then forget
  That on the banks of this delightful stream
  We stood together; and that I, so long
  A worshipper of Nature, hither came                          155
  Unwearied in that service: rather say
  With warmer love--oh! with far deeper zeal
  Of holier love. Nor wilt thou then forget,
  That after many wanderings, many years
  Of absence, these steep woods and lofty cliffs,              160
  And this green pastoral landscape, were to me
  More dear, both for themselves and for thy sake!



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VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1845.

  ... sweet ...    1798.]


[Variant 2:

1827.

  Which ...    1798.]


[Variant 3:

1845.

  ... with their unripe fruits,
  Among the woods and copses lose themselves,
  Nor, with their green and simple hue, disturb
  The wild green landscape ...                   1798.

  Are clad in one green hue, and lose themselves
  Among the woods and copses, nor disturb        1802.]


[Variant 4:

1827.

  ... Though absent long,
  These forms of beauty have not been to me,    1798.]


[Variant 5:

1798.

  ... inmost mind,    MS.]


[Variant 6:

1820.

  As may have had no trivial influence     1798.]


[Variant 7:

1798.

  ... wood,     1798 (some copies).]


[Variant 8:

1836.

  ... or ...    1798.]


[Variant 9:

1800.

  Not ...    1798.]



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FOOTNOTES ON THE TEXT

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

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

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