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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FIELD-FLOWER; A PHANTASY by FRANCIS THOMPSON

Poet Analysis

First Line: GOD TOOK A FIT OF PARADISE - WIND
Last Line: SINCE MAN GREW GOD THAT SUNDAY.
GOD took a fit of Paradise-wind,
A slip of coerule weather,
A thought as simple as Himself,
And ravelled them together.
Unto His eyes He held it there,
To teach it gazing debonair
With memory of what, perdie,
A God's young innocences were.
His fingers pushed it through the sod --
It came up redolent of God,
Garrulous of the eyes of God
To all the breezes near it;
Musical of the mouth of God
To all had ears to hear it;
Mystical with the mirth of God,
That glow-like did ensphere it.
@3And -- 'Babble! babble! babble!' said,
'I'll tell the whole world one day!'
There was no blossom half so glad,
Since sun of Christ's first Sunday.@1

A poet took a flaw of pain,
A hap of skiey pleasure,
A thought had in his cradle lain,
And mingled them in measure.
That chrism he laid upon his eyes,
And lips, and heart, for euphrasies,
That he might see, feel, sing, perdie,
The simple things that are the wise.
Beside the flower he held his ways,
And leaned him to it gaze for gaze --
He took its meaning, gaze for gaze,
As baby looks on baby;
Its meaning passed into his gaze,
Native as meaning may be;
He rose with all his shining gaze
As children's eyes at play be.
@3And -- 'Babble! babble! babble!' said,
'I'll tell the whole world one day!'
There was no poet half so glad,
Since man grew God that Sunday.@1



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