The poem describes the poet writing his will and choosing upstanding men to inherit his pride in people who were free and not bound to any cause, state, tyrants, or slaves. It discusses the poet's faith that denies Plotinus' thought and cries against Plato that life and death were not real until created by man. The poet declares they will now study to prepare their soul and make their soul study until death overcomes their body.
The poem describes the poet writing his will and choosing upstanding men to inherit his pride in people who were free and not bound to any cause, state, tyrants, or slaves. It discusses the poet's faith that denies Plotinus' thought and cries against Plato that life and death were not real until created by man. The poet declares they will now study to prepare their soul and make their soul study until death overcomes their body.
The poem describes the poet writing his will and choosing upstanding men to inherit his pride in people who were free and not bound to any cause, state, tyrants, or slaves. It discusses the poet's faith that denies Plotinus' thought and cries against Plato that life and death were not real until created by man. The poet declares they will now study to prepare their soul and make their soul study until death overcomes their body.
It is time that I wrote my will; Poet’s imaginings
I choose upstanding men And memories of love, That climb the streams until Memories of the words of women, The fountain leap, and at dawn All those things whereof Drop their cast at the side Man makes a superhuman Of dripping stone; I declare Mirror-resembling dream. They shall inherit my pride, The pride of people that were As at the loophole there Bound neither to Cause nor to State, The daws chatter and scream, Neither to slaves that were spat on, And drop twigs layer upon layer. Nor to the tyrants that spat, When they have mounted up, The people of Burke and of Grattan The mother bird will rest That gave, though free to refuse— On their hollow top, Pride, like that of the morn, And so warm her wild nest. When the headlong light is loose, Or that of the fabulous horn, I leave both faith and pride Or that of the sudden shower To young upstanding men When all streams are dry, Climbing the mountain-side, Or that of the hour That under bursting dawn When the swan must fix his eye They may drop a fly; Upon a fading gleam, Being of that metal made Float out upon a long Till it was broken by Last reach of glittering stream This sedentary trade. And there sing his last song. And I declare my faith: Now shall I make my soul, I mock Plotinus’ thought Compelling it to study And cry in Plato’s teeth, In a learned school Death and life were not Till the wreck of body, Till man made up the whole, Slow decay of blood, Made lock, stock and barrel Testy delirium Out of his bitter soul, Or dull decrepitude, Aye, sun and moon and star, all, Or what worse evil come— And further add to that The death of friends, or death That, being dead, we rise, Of every brilliant eye Dream and so create That made a catch in the breath— Translunar Paradise. Seem but the clouds of the sky I have prepared my peace When the horizon fades, With learned Italian things Or a bird’s sleepy cry And the proud stones of Greece, Among the deepening shades.