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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SOCIAL HEREDITY, by JOHN KELLS INGRAM Poet's Biography
First Line: Man is no mushroom growth' of yesterday
First Line: Man is no mushroom growth' of yesterday
MAN is no mushroom growth of yesterday.
His roots strike deep into the hallow'd mould
Of the dead centuries; ordinances old
Govern us, whether gladly we obey
Or vainly struggle to resist their sway:
Our thoughts by ancient thinkers are controll'd,
And many a word in which our thoughts are told
Was coined long since in regions far away.
The strong- soul'd nations, destin'd to be great,
Honour their sires and reverence the Past;
They cherish and improve their heritage.
The weak, in blind self-trust or headlong rage,
The olden times' transmitted treasure cast
Behind them, and bemoan their loss too late.
Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!
Other Poems of Interest...
NATIONAL PRESAGE by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
THE SOCIAL FUTURE by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
TO A.J.: A MONODY by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
WINGED THOUGHTS by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
NATION'S WEALTH by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
NATIONALITY by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
SONNET ON READING THE SONNET BY R.C.D., IN MEMORIAM G.P.C. by JOHN KELLS INGRAM
NATIONALITY by JOHN KELLS INGRAM