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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE MASTER-CRAFTSMAN HATH NO THOUGHT IN MIND by MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI

Last Line: Revealeth death alone for all its strife
Subject(s): CRAFTMANSHIP; DEATH;

The master-craftsman hath no thought in mind
That one sole marble block may not contain
Within itself, but this we only find
When the hand serves the impulse of the brain ;
The good I seek, the harm from which I fly,
Lady, divinely proud and fair, even so
Are hid in thee, and therefore I must die
Because my art is impotent to show

My heart's desire ; hence love I cannot blame,
Nor beauty in thee, nor thy scorn, nor ill
Fortune, nor good for this my pain, since life
Within thy heart thou bearest at the same
Moment as death, and yet my little skill
Revealeth death alone for all its strife.



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