Lord Alfred Tennyson
Lord Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRSwas Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets...
fools-and-foolishness pile red
Even tho' thrice again/ The red fool-fury of the Seine/ Should pile her barricades with dead.
life men foolish-man
He promoted the education of the parish clergy and wrote: He seems to me a very foolish man, and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach that endless life where all shall be made clear.
ah fools petty sweat
Ah God! the petty fools of rhyme/ That shriek and sweat in pigmy wars.
dealer fool fools-and-foolishness guard hour jealous speech thoughts words
Guard your roving thoughts with a jealous care, for speech is but the dealer of thoughts, and every fool can plainly read in your words what is the hour of your thoughts.
awake dawn knowing night promise rose roses
The rose was awake all night for your sake,/ Knowing your promise to me;/ The lilies and roses were all awake,/ They sighed for the dawn and thee.
answer bells birth christmas draws hill mist moon near night time
The time draws near the birth of Christ: The moon is hid; the night is still; The Christmas bells from hill to hill Answer each other in the mist
climbing peace
Is there any peace/ In ever climbing up the climbing wave?
believe mainly man ours wise
The world will not believe a man repents; And this wise world of ours is mainly right
roll
The rise/ And long roll of the Hexameter.
deep eternity light sabbath sea shining wide
The Sabbaths of Eternity,/ One Sabbath deep and wide -/ A light upon the shining sea -/ The Bridegroom with his bride!
haven ships sound touch voice
And the stately ships go on / To their haven under the hill; / But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand, / And the sound of a voice that is still!
buried seen seldom
And when they buried him the little port/ Had seldom seen a costlier funeral.
cool drink hopes lofty perfect visions
Drink to lofty hopes that cool -/ Visions of a perfect State.
dead perfection
Faultily faultless, icily regular, splendidly null, dead perfection; no more.