Poems Of The Week

[jazzy_dave]

Two more English poets -

Be Still, My Soul, Be Still

Poem by Alfred Edward Housman


Be still, my soul, be still; the arms you bear are brittle,
Earth and high heaven are fixt of old and founded strong.
Think rather,-- call to thought, if now you grieve a little,
The days when we had rest, O soul, for they were long.

Men loved unkindness then, but lightless in the quarry
I slept and saw not; tears fell down, I did not mourn;
Sweat ran and blood sprang out and I was never sorry:
Then it was well with me, in days ere I was born.

Now, and I muse for why and never find the reason,
I pace the earth, and drink the air, and feel the sun.
Be still, be still, my soul; it is but for a season:
Let us endure an hour and see injustice done.

Ay, look: high heaven and earth ail from the prime foundation;
All thoughts to rive the heart are here, and all are vain:
Horror and scorn and hate and fear and indignation--
Oh why did I awake? when shall I sleep again?

Hawk Roosting

by Ted Hughes


I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed.
Inaction, no falsifying dream
Between my hooked head and hooked feet:
Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.

The convenience of the high trees!
The air's buoyancy and the sun's ray
Are of advantage to me;
And the earth's face upward for my inspection.

My feet are locked upon the rough bark.
It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather:
Now I hold Creation in my foot

Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly -
I kill where I please because it is all mine.
There is no sophistry in my body:
My manners are tearing off heads -

The allotment of death.
For the one path of my flight is direct
Through the bones of the living.
No arguments assert my right:

The sun is behind me.
Nothing has changed since I began.
My eye has permitted no change.
I am going to keep things like this.

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Both these poems are new to me. I know some Houseman, but not much at all of Ted Hughes. They seem to go together well, and the harsh quality is right for the times.

The burden of awareness of humanity, and the fierce amoral bird-- I am rolling those together in my thoughts.

Thank you for posting them.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

*HUGS*

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

I really like the second one. :)
Hugs, Jon

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

Had forgotten about Housman. Really good poem!

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

Hawk Roosting is a favourite of mine