Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SONNET: 18. THE SAME CONTINUED, by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SONNET: 18. THE SAME CONTINUED, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Therefore think not the past is wise alone
Last Line: Save in the forethought of the eternal one.
Variant Title(s): Wisdom Of The Eternal One
Subject(s): Capital Punishment; Poetry & Poets; Wordsworth, William (1770-1850); Hanging; Executions; Death Penalty


THEREFORE think not the Past is wise alone,
For Yesterday knows nothing of the Best,
And thou shalt love it only as the nest
Whence glory-winged things to Heaven have flown:
To the great Soul alone are all things known;
Present and future are to her as past,
While she in glorious madness doth forecast
That perfect bud, which seems a flower full-blown
To each new Prophet, and yet always opes
Fuller and fuller with each day and hour,
Heartening the soul with odor of fresh hopes,
And longings high, and gushings of wide power,
Yet never is or shall be fully blown
Save in the forethought of the Eternal One.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


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