Thou blind man's mark, thou fool's self-chosen snare, Fond fancy's scum, and dregs of scattered thought, Band of all evils, cradle of causeless care, Thou web of will, whose end is never wrought; Desire, desire, I have too dearly bought, With price of mangled mind, thy worthless ware; Too long, too long, asleep thou hast me brought, Who should my mind to higher things prepare. But yet in vain thou hast my ruin sought: In vain thou madest me to vain things aspire, In vain thou kindlest all thy smoky fire; For virtue hath this better lesson taught, Within myself to seek my only hire, Desiring naught but how to kill desire. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ADDRESS TO THE UNCO GUID, OR THE RIGIDLY RIGHTEOUS by ROBERT BURNS THE BOATMAN OF KINSALE by THOMAS OSBORNE DAVIS THE VOICE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON MILTON'S PRAYER [OF PATIENCE, OR, IN BLINDNESS] by ELIZABETH LLOYD HOWELL ASTROPHEL AND STELLA: 63 by PHILIP SIDNEY ONE PRAYER by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) VIA LUCIS by CHARLES GRANGER BLANDEN THE LOVE SONNETS OF PROTEUS: 89. THE LIMIT OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT |