Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


HOW SORDID IS THIS CROWDED LIFE by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES

Poet Analysis

First Line: HOW SORDID IS THIS CROWDED LIFE, ITS SPITE
Last Line: MY VOICE BACK WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I LIVE.

How sordid is this crowded life, its spite
And envy, the unkindness brought to light:
It makes me think of those great modest hearts
That spend their quiet lives in lonely parts,
In deserts, hills and woods; and pass away
Judged by a few, or none, from day to day.
And O that I were free enough to dwell
In their great spaces for a while; until
The dream-like life of such a solitude
Has forced my tongue to cry 'Hallo!' aloud --
To make an echo from the silence give
My voice back with the knowledge that I live.



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