Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, NOT UNDERSTOOD, by THOMAS BRACKEN


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

NOT UNDERSTOOD, by                    
First Line: Not understood. We move along asunder
Last Line: And understood.
Subject(s): Friendship; Religion; Theology


NOT UNDERSTOOD. We move along asunder;
Our paths grow wider as the seasons creep
Along the years; we marvel and we wonder
Why life is life. And then we fall asleep --
Not understood.

Not understood. We gather false impressions,
And hug them closer as the years go by,
Till virtues often seem to us transgressions;
And thus men rise and fall, and live and die --
Not understood.

Not understood. Poor souls with stunted vision
Oft measure giants by their narrow gauge;
The poisoned shafts of falsehood and derision
Are oft impelled 'gainst those who mould the age --
Not understood.

Not understanding. The secret springs of action
Which lie beneath the surface and the show
Are disregarded; with self-satisfaction
We judge our neighbor, and they often go --
Not understood.

Not understood. How trifles often change us!
The thoughtless sentence or the fancied slight
Destroys long years of friendship, and estrange us,
And on our souls there falls a freezing blight --
Not understood.

Not understood. How many breasts are aching
For lack of sympathy! Ah, day to day
How many cheerless, lonely hearts are breaking!
How many noble spirits pass away --
Not understood.

O God! that men would see a little clearer,
Or judge less harshly where they cannot see;
O God! that men would draw a little nearer
To one another; they'd be nearer Thee --
And understood.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


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