E. Housman
E. Housman
gone london sights year
In my fourteenth year I had gone up to London for the first time, to see as many of the sights as could be got into a fortnight.
bright carry die glory lads
They carry back bright to the coiner the mintage of man, / The lads that will die in their glory and never be old.
god neck
A neck God made for other use / Than strangling in a string.
falls further hopeless past sight touch west
Ensanguining the skies, How heavily it dies, Into the west away; Past touch and sight and sound, Not further to be found, How hopeless under ground, Falls the remorseful day
golden heart maiden
With rue my heart is laden / For golden friends I had, / For many a rose-lipt maiden / And many a lightfoot lad.
lay notion range time within
At that time I had no notion that I should ever come to live in Somerset - to live actually within the range of what then lay before me.
lads lays thinking
Think no more; 'tis only thinking / Lays lads underground.
clock collected strength tower
And then the clock collected in the tower / Its strength and struck.
bears falling feather folly
And the feather pate of folly / Bears the falling of the sky.
fellows trouble
This is for all ill-treated fellows - Unborn and unbegot, For them to read when they're in trouble And I am not
fine next oh shall year
May will be fine next year as like as not: / Oh ay, but then we shall be twenty-four.
earth sea turning wears
Made of earth and sea / His overcoat for ever, / And wears the turning globe.
ask lovers lying night sleep turns whom
Lovers lying two by two / Ask not whom they sleep beside, / And the bridegroom all night through / Never turns him to the bride.
clean love
Oh, when I was in love with you, / Then I was clean and brave.