The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

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

But, if such homage thou disdain
    As doth with mellowing years agree,
    One rarely absent from thy train                             135
    More humble favours may obtain
    For thy contented Votary.
    She, who incites the frolic lambs
    In presence of their heedless dams,
    And to the solitary fawn                                     140
    Vouchsafes her lessons, bounteous Nymph
    That wakes the breeze, the sparkling lymph
    Doth hurry to the lawn;
    She, who inspires that strain of joyance holy                144
    Which the sweet Bird, misnamed the melancholy,[EP]
    Pours forth in shady groves, shall plead for me;
    And vernal mornings opening bright
    With views of undefined delight,
    And cheerful songs, and suns that shine
    On busy days, with thankful nights, be mine.                 150

    VII

    But thou, O Goddess! in thy favourite Isle
    (Freedom's impregnable redoubt,
    The wide earth's store-house fenced about
    With breakers roaring to the gales
    That stretch a thousand thousand sails)                      155
    Quicken the slothful, and exalt the vile!--
    Thy impulse is the life of Fame;
    Glad Hope would almost cease to be
    If torn from thy society;
    And Love, when worthiest of his name,[426]                   160
    Is proud to walk the earth with Thee!

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 411: 1837.

    ... a ...                                                   1822.
]

[Footnote 412: The edition of 1849 has "Briton's," evidently a
misprint.]

[Footnote 413: 1822.

    ... to youthful Courage ...                                    C.
]

[Footnote 414: 1845.

    Or ...                                                      1822.
]

[Footnote 415: 1837.

    And thou (if rightly I rehearse
    What wondering Shepherds told in verse)
    From rocky fortress in mid air
    (The food which pleased thee best to win)
    Did'st oft the flame-eyed Eagle scare
    With infant shout,--as often sweep,                         1822.

    And thou, whose earliest thoughts held dear
    Allurements that were edged with fear,
    (The food that pleased thee best, to win)
    From rocky fortress in mid air
    The flame-eyed Eagle oft would scare
    With infant shout,--as often sweep,                         1827.

    And thou, whose earliest thoughts held dear
    Allurements that were edged with fear,
    (The food that pleased thee best, to win)
    With infant shout wouldst often scare
    From her rock-fortress in mid air
    The flame-eyed Eagle--often sweep,                          1832.
]

[Footnote 416: 1837.

    And, ...                                                    1822.
]

[Footnote 417: 1837.

    ... and a couch of rest;
    Thou to his dangers dost enchain,
    'Mid the blank world of snow and ice,
    The ...                                                     1822.

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

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)Wordsworth, William

General

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

Wordsworth, William

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

But, if such homage thou disdain
    As doth with mellowing years agree,
    One rarely absent from thy train                             135
    More humble favours may obtain
    For thy contented Votary.
    She, who incites the frolic lambs
    In presence of their heedless dams,
    And to the solitary fawn                                     140
    Vouchsafes her lessons, bounteous Nymph
    That wakes the breeze, the sparkling lymph
    Doth hurry to the lawn;
    She, who inspires that strain of joyance holy                144
    Which the sweet Bird, misnamed the melancholy,[EP]
    Pours forth in shady groves, shall plead for me;
    And vernal mornings opening bright
    With views of undefined delight,
    And cheerful songs, and suns that shine
    On busy days, with thankful nights, be mine.                 150

    VII

    But thou, O Goddess! in thy favourite Isle
    (Freedom's impregnable redoubt,
    The wide earth's store-house fenced about
    With breakers roaring to the gales
    That stretch a thousand thousand sails)                      155
    Quicken the slothful, and exalt the vile!--
    Thy impulse is the life of Fame;
    Glad Hope would almost cease to be
    If torn from thy society;
    And Love, when worthiest of his name,[426]                   160
    Is proud to walk the earth with Thee!

VARIANTS:

[Footnote 411: 1837.

    ... a ...                                                   1822.
]

[Footnote 412: The edition of 1849 has "Briton's," evidently a
misprint.]

[Footnote 413: 1822.

    ... to youthful Courage ...                                    C.
]

[Footnote 414: 1845.

    Or ...                                                      1822.
]

[Footnote 415: 1837.

    And thou (if rightly I rehearse
    What wondering Shepherds told in verse)
    From rocky fortress in mid air
    (The food which pleased thee best to win)
    Did'st oft the flame-eyed Eagle scare
    With infant shout,--as often sweep,                         1822.

    And thou, whose earliest thoughts held dear
    Allurements that were edged with fear,
    (The food that pleased thee best, to win)
    From rocky fortress in mid air
    The flame-eyed Eagle oft would scare
    With infant shout,--as often sweep,                         1827.

    And thou, whose earliest thoughts held dear
    Allurements that were edged with fear,
    (The food that pleased thee best, to win)
    With infant shout wouldst often scare
    From her rock-fortress in mid air
    The flame-eyed Eagle--often sweep,                          1832.
]

[Footnote 416: 1837.

    And, ...                                                    1822.
]

[Footnote 417: 1837.

    ... and a couch of rest;
    Thou to his dangers dost enchain,
    'Mid the blank world of snow and ice,
    The ...                                                     1822.

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

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

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