Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 3. DISENTANGLEMENT, by EDWARD CARPENTER Poet's Biography First Line: Be not torn by desire Last Line: True end of thy voyage. Subject(s): Desire; Love | ||||||||
BE not torn by desire: When burning clinging love assails theelike a red-hot thing which sticks to the flesh it scorches. Beware! For love is good and lust is goodbut not to tear and rend thee. Slowly and resolutelyas a fly cleans its legs of the honey in which it has been caught So remove thou, if it only be for a time, every particle which sullies the brightness of thy mind; Return into thyselfcontent to give, but asking no one, asking nothing; In the calm light of His splendor who fills all the universe, the imperishable indestructible of ages, Dwell thouas thou canst dwellcontented. 2 Now understand me well: There is no desire or indulgence that is forbidden; there is not one good and another evilall are alike in that respect; In place all are to be used. Yet in using be not entangled in them; for then already they are bad, and will cause thee suffering. When thy bodyas needs must happen at timesis carried along on the wind of passion, say not thou, "I desire this or that"; For the "I" neither desires nor fears anything, but is free and in everlasting glory, dwelling in heaven and pouring out joy like the sun on all sides. Let not that precious thing by any confusion be drawn down and entangled in the world of opposites, and of Death and suffering. For as a light-house beam sweeps with incredible speed over sea and land, yet the lamp itself moves not at all, So while thy body of desire is (and must be by the law of its nature) incessantly in motion in the world of suffering, the "I" high up above is fixed in heaven. Therefore I say let no confusion cloud thy mind about this matter; But ever when desire knocks at thy door, Though thou grant it admission and entreat it hospitably, as in duty bound, Fence it yet gently off from thy true self, Lest it should tear and rend thee. 3 And him thou lovest or her thou lovest If without confusion thou beholdest such one fixed like a star in heaven, and ever in thy most clinging burning passion rememberest Whom thou lovest, Then art thou blessed beyond words, and thy love is surely eternal; But if by confusion thou knowest not whom thou lovestbut seest only the receptacle of desire which inhabits the world of change and suffering Then shalt thou be whirled and gulfed in a sea of torment, and shalt travel far and be many times lost upon that ocean before thou shalt know what is the true end of thy voyage. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE INVENTION OF LOVE by MATTHEA HARVEY TWO VIEWS OF BUSON by ROBERT HASS A LOVE FOR FOUR VOICES: HOMAGE TO FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN by ANTHONY HECHT AN OFFERING FOR PATRICIA by ANTHONY HECHT LATE AFTERNOON: THE ONSLAUGHT OF LOVE by ANTHONY HECHT A SWEETENING ALL AROUND ME AS IT FALLS by JANE HIRSHFIELD AS A MOULD FOR SOME FAIR FORM by EDWARD CARPENTER |
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