Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO A CONTEMNER OF THE PAST, by RICHARD THOMAS LE GALLIENNE Poet's Biography First Line: You that would break with the past Last Line: Begone -- and gladly gone! Subject(s): Past | ||||||||
YOU that would break with the Past, Why with so rude a gesture take your leave? None hinders, go your way; but wherefore cast Contempt and boorish scorn Upon the womb from which even you were born? Begone in peace! Forbear to flout and grieve, Vulgar iconoclast, Those of a faith you cannot comprehend, To whom the Past is as a lovely friend Nobly grown old, yet nobly ever young; The temple and the treasure-house of Time, With gains immortal stored Of dream and deed and song, Since man from chaos first began to climb, His lonely soul for sword. O base and trivial tongue That dares to mock this solemn heritage, And foul this sacred page! Sorry the future that hath you for sire! And happy we who yet Can bear the golden chimes from tower and spire In the old heaven set, And link our hands and hearts with the great dead That lived with God for friend, And drew strange sustenance from overhead, And knew a bright beginning in life's end; For all their earthly days Were filled with meaning deeper than the hour. Leave us our simple faith in star and flower, And all our simple ways Of prayer and praise, And ancient virtues of humility, Honour and reverence and the bended knee, Old tenderness and gracious courtesies, From Time so hardly won: But you that no more have content in these, From out our sanctuaries Begone -- and gladly gone! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FERGUS FALLING by GALWAY KINNELL A TIME PAST by DENISE LEVERTOV LAST THINGS by WILLIAM MEREDITH CHRISTMAS TREE by JOHN FREDERICK NIMS THIS MORNING, GOD by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR A BALLAD OF LONDON (TO H.W. MASSINGHAM) by RICHARD THOMAS LE GALLIENNE AFTER THE WAR by RICHARD THOMAS LE GALLIENNE WHAT OF THE DARKNESS?; TO THE HAPPY DEAD PEOPLE by RICHARD THOMAS LE GALLIENNE |
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