Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CLASSICS, by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Fain to know golden things, fain to grow wise



Fain to know golden things, fain to grow wise,
Fain to achieve the secret of fair souls:

His thought, scarce other lore need solemnize,
Fain to know golden things, fain to grow wise,
Whom Virgil calms, whom Sophocles controls:
Fain to achieve the secret of fair souls:
His thought, scarce other lore need solemnize,

Whom Virgil calms, whom Sophocles controls:

Whose conscience Æschylus, a warrior voice,


Enchaunted hath with majesties of doom:
Whose melancholy mood can best rejoice,
Whose conscience Æschylus, a warrior voice,
Enchaunted hath with majesties of doom:
When Horace sings, and roses bower the tomb:
Whose melancholy mood can best rejoice,

When Horace sings, and roses bower the tomb:

Who, following Caesar unto death, discerns

What bitter cause was Rome's, to mourn that day:

With austere Tacitus for master, learns
Who, following Caesar unto death, discerns
What bitter cause was Rome's, to mourn that day:
The look of empire in its proud decay:

With austere Tacitus for master, learns

The look of empire in its proud decay:
Whom dread Lucretius of the mighty line


Hath awed, but not borne down: who loves the flame,
Whom dread Lucretius of the mighty line
That leaped within Catullus the divine,
Hath awed, but not borne down: who loves the flame,
His glory, and his beauty, and his shame:
That leaped within Catullus the divine,


His glory, and his beauty, and his shame:
Who dreams with Plato and, transcending dreams,

Mounts to the perfect City of true God:

Who dreams with Plato and, transcending dreams,
Who hails its marvellous and haunting gleams,
Treading the steady air, as Plato trod:
Mounts to the perfect City of true God:
Who hails its marvellous and haunting gleams,


Treading the steady air, as Plato trod:

Who with Thucydides pursues the way,

Feeling the heart-beats of the ages gone:
Who with Thucydides pursues the way,
Till fall the clouds upon the Attic day,
And Syracuse draw tears for Marathon:
Feeling the heart-beats of the ages gone:
Till fall the clouds upon the Attic day,

And Syracuse draw tears for Marathon:

To whom these golden things best give delight:

The music of most sad Simonides;

Propertius' ardent graces; and the might
To whom these golden things best give delight:
The music of most sad Simonides;
Of Pindar chaunting by the olive trees:
Propertius' ardent graces; and the might


Of Pindar chaunting by the olive trees:

Livy, and Roman consuls purple swathed:

Plutarch, and heroes of the ancient earth:
And Aristophanes, whose laughter scathed
Livy, and Roman consuls purple swathed:
Plutarch, and heroes of the ancient earth:
The souls of fools, and pealed in lyric mirth:
And Aristophanes, whose laughter scathed

The souls of fools, and pealed in lyric mirth:

AEolian rose-leaves blown from Sappho's isle;


Secular glories of Lycean thought:
Sallies of Lucian, bidding wisdom smile;
Æolian rose-leaves blown from Sappho's isle;
Angers of Juvenal, divinely wrought:
Secular glories of Lycean thought:

Sallies of Lucian, bidding wisdom smile;

Angers of Juvenal, divinely wrought:
Pleasant, and elegant, and garrulous,

Pliny: crowned Marcus, wistful and still strong:

Pleasant, and elegant, and garrulous,
Sicilian seas and their Theocritus,
Pliny: crowned Marcus, wistful and still strong:
Pastoral singer of the last Greek song:

Sicilian seas and their Theocritus,
Pastoral singer of the last Greek song:

Herodotus, all simple and all wise:

Demosthenes, a lightning flame of scorn:

The surge of Cicero, that never dies:
Herodotus, all simple and all wise:
And Homer, grand against the ancient morn.
Demosthenes, a lightning flame of scorn:

The surge of Cicero, that never dies:

And Homer, grand against the ancient morn.






Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net