In fancy I can see thee stand Again in the green meadow-land; As in thine infancy, long past, When Southwark was a lovely waste; And Larks and Blackbirds sang around, As common as their children found So far away in these late days. And thou didst like a lighthouse raise Thy windows, that their light could show Across the broad, green calm below; And there were trees, beneath whose boughs Stood happy horses, sheep and cows, And wilful brooks, that would not yield To hedges, to mark out each field, But every field that they passed through Was by them cut and counted two. From thy back windows thou couldst see, Half-way between St. Paul's and thee, Swans with their shadows, and the barge Of state old Thames took in his charge. Ah, wert thou now what thou wert then, There were no need to fly from men. Instead of those green meadows, now Three hundred hungry children show Rags and white faces at thy door For charity. We see no more Green lanes, but alleys dark instead; Where none can walk but fear to tread On babes that crawl in dirt and slime. And from thy windows, at this time, Thou canst not see ten yards beyond, For the high blocks that stand around; Buildings that ofttimes only give One room in which five souls must live, With but one window for their air. Foul art thou now with lives of care, For hungry children and men poor Seek food and lodging at thy door; Thou that didst hear, in thy first hours, Birds sing, and saw the sweet wild flowers. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...COMMEMORATION ODE READ AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL THE ALLIGATOR by BEATRICE WITTE RAVENEL FROLIC by GEORGE WILLIAM RUSSELL THE QUAKER WIDOW by BAYARD TAYLOR WINTER WATER by KENNETH SLADE ALLING STANZAS IN THE MEMORY OF EDWARD QUILLINAN, ESQ. by MATTHEW ARNOLD TO HARRY ELLIS WOOLDRIDGE by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE: 9 by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING |