Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 4. WHO SHALL COMMAND THE HEART (2), by EDWARD CARPENTER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 4. WHO SHALL COMMAND THE HEART (2), by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Who shall command the heart, that wondrous thing
Last Line: The universe over?
Subject(s): Beauty; Desire; Hearts; Love


WHO shall command the heart, that wondrous Thing,
That wild love-creature, roaming the wilderness,
That none can tame?
Roaming the world, devouring with eyes of flame, eyes of desire,
All forms of heavenly Beauty?

Say, little heart, that beatest pulses' here beneath the ribs,
Who chained thee in this body? —what Titan ages agone?—
Who muzzled thee to drive this crank machine,
Thou wanderer of the woods, thou crimson leopard,
No better than a turnspit?

Nay, but thy 'prenticeship long enough surely thou hast served;
The time has come, and thy full age and strength;
The cage-bars hold no longer, and the body-machine breaks down;
But thou art young and beautiful as ever.
Wild pard who lovest thus to hunt with Man, I bid thee loose.
Say, wilt thou come with me, and shall we ride, Companions of the Chase,
the universe over?





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