The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 3 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 3 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

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

There are who ask not if thine eye
  Be on them; who, in love and truth,                                 10
  Where no misgiving is, rely
  Upon the genial sense of youth: [B]
  Glad Hearts! without reproach or blot;
  Who do thy work, [2] and know it not:
  Oh, if through confidence misplaced                                 15
  They fail, thy saving arms, dread Power! around them cast. [3]

  Serene will be our days and bright,
  And happy will our nature be,
  When love is an unerring light,
  And joy its own security.                                           20
  And they a blissful course may hold
  Even now, who, not unwisely bold, [4]
  Live in the spirit of this creed;
  Yet seek thy firm support, [5] according to their need.

  I, loving freedom, and untried;                                     25
  No sport of every random gust,
  Yet being to myself a guide,
  Too blindly have reposed my trust:
  And oft, when in my heart was heard
  Thy timely mandate, I deferred                                      30
  The task, in smoother walks to stray; [6]
  But thee I now [7] would serve more strictly, if I may.

  Through no disturbance of my soul,
  Or strong compunction in me wrought,
  I supplicate for thy control;                                       35
  But in the quietness of thought:
  Me this unchartered freedom tires; [C]
  I feel the weight of chance-desires:
  My hopes no more must change their name,
  I long for a repose that [8] ever is the same.                      40
  [9]
  Stern Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear
  The Godhead's most benignant grace;
  Nor know we any thing so [10] fair
  As is the smile upon thy face: [D]
  Flowers laugh before thee on their beds                             45
  And fragrance in thy footing treads; [E]
  Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong;
  And the most ancient heavens, through Thee, are fresh and strong.

  To humbler functions, awful Power!
  I call thee: I myself commend                                       50
  Unto thy guidance from this hour;
  Oh, let my weakness have an end!
  Give unto me, made lowly wise,
  The spirit of self-sacrifice;
  The confidence of reason give;                                      55
  And in the light of truth thy Bondman let me live! [F]



       *       *       *       *       *


VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1815

  From strife and from despair; a glorious ministry.      1807.]


[Variant 2:

   ... the right ...        MS.

   ... thy will ...         MS.]


[Variant 3:

1837.

  May joy be theirs while life shall last!
  And Thou, if they should totter, teach them to stand fast!      1807.

  Long may the kindly impulse last!
  But Thou, ...                                                   1827.

  And may that genial sense remain, when youth is past.           MS.]


[Variant 4:

1827.

  And bless'd are they who in the main
  This faith, even now, do entertain:              1807.

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

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 3 (of 8)

No reviews yet