The Worlds of Stephen

Spender: I think
Continually of Those
who Were Truly Great

Prepared by:
Marckim Dango
Claudine Lucero
Charlene Mae Mutia
Jaicary Andoyo
The Truly Great
BY STEPHEN SPENDER

I think continually of those who were

truly great. Who, from the womb,
remembered the soul’s history Through
corridors of light, where the hours are
suns, Endless and singing. Whose
lovely ambition Was that their lips, still
touched with fire, Should tell of the
Spirit, clothed from head to foot in
song.
And who hoarded from the Spring
branches The desires falling across their
bodies like blossoms. What is precious, is
never to forget The essential delight of the
blood drawn from ageless springs
Breaking through rocks in worlds before
our earth. Never to deny its pleasure in the
morning simple light Nor its grave
evening demand for love. Never to allow
gradually the traffic to smother With noise
and fog, the flowering of the spirit.
Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest
fields, See how these names are fêted by the
waving grass And by the streamers of white
cloud And whispers of wind in the listening
sky. The names of those who in their lives
fought for life, Who wore at their hearts the
fire’s centre. Born of the sun, they travelled
a short while toward the sun And left the
vivid air signed with their honour.
Write the meaning of five unfamiliar words.
• Hoarded - accumulated and hidden or stored away.
• Fêted - honor or entertain (someone) lavishly.
• Vivid - producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
Write a sentence in each of the five difficult
words.
• He had hoarded nothing from the past, neither in his cabinets, neither in his
memory.
• He was feted by the nobility.
• I've got vivid memories of that summer.
 Name five symbols and the meaning it
represents.
• Truly great - Inspiration
• Soul - People
• Sun - Light/Energy Endless singing
• "Corridors of life" - Perpetual enlightenment
• Traffic - Distraction
Draw an imagery of the poem. Attach the
photo of your drawing.
 Cite and explain a universal truth presented
in the poem.
" I think continually of those who were truly great.Who, from the womb,
remembered the soul’s history" Spender begins his poetry by declaring out loud
that he frequently thinks of people who have had a significant impact on the
world. It's rather obvious why he refers to these people as "the truly great". The
word "souls" used there is a little too direct, though, since a soul can also
represent a human being since all living things have souls in the first place.
Spender might be implying that those who literally always keep in mind human
history are the truly outstanding ones. These people became so great because
they were able to be enthusiastic about bringing about change because they were
always reminded of the struggles that humanity had faced since the beginning of
time.
 Cite and explain a lesson presented in the
poem.
• The poem I Think Continually of Those Who are Truly Great by Stephen
Spender has an attempt to describe what makes a person “truly” great. The
poem consider soldier as truly great not only the war men but also the people
who selflessly fights for what they believe in.