A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Tuesday 5 April 2016

Afflictions

There was a time when, though my path was rough,
This joy within me dallied with distress,
And all misfortunes were but as the stuff
Whence Fancy made me dreams of happiness:
For hope grew round me, like the twining vine,
And fruits, and foliage, not my own, seemed mine.
But now afflictions bow me down to earth:
Nor care I that they rob me of my mirth;
But oh! each visitation
Suspends what nature gave me at my birth,
My shaping spirit of Imagination.
For not to think of what I needs must feel,
But to be still and patient, all I can;
And haply by abstruse research to steal
From my own nature all the natural man—
This was my sole resource, my only plan:
Till that which suits a part infects the whole,
And now is almost grown the habit of my soul.

Stanza VI from Dejection: An Ode by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE 

5 comments:

am said...

"... For not to think of what I needs must feel,
But to be still and patient, all I can ..."

Thank you for this today.


Nick said...

"This too shall pass."

Ruth said...

What if you slept
And what if
In your sleep
You dreamed
And what if
In your dream
You went to heaven
And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower
And what if
When you awoke
You had that flower in your hand
Ah, what then?”

Anonymous said...

Whenever I read STC I'm left thinking I should read more.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, the previous comment was done on my daughters account. This one is mine.