A TIME there was - as one may guess And as, indeed, earth's testimonies tell - Before the birth of consciousness, When all went well. None suffered sickness, love, or loss, None knew regret, starved hope, or heart-burnings; None cared whatever crash or cross Brought wrack to things. If something ceased, no tongue bewailed, If something winced and waned, no heart was wrung; If brightness dimmed, and dark prevailed, No sense was stung. But the disease of feeling germed, And primal rightness took the tinct of wrong; Ere nescience shall be reaffirmed How long, how long? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE FAIRY THORN; AN ULSTER BALLAD by SAMUEL FERGUSON AN ODE UPON A QUESTION WHETHER LOVE SHOULD CONTINUE FOREVER by EDWARD HERBERT A SHROPSHIRE LAD: 18 by ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 90. 'RETRO ME, SATHANA!' by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE WELL OF ST. KEYNE by ROBERT SOUTHEY ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY by JOHN STERLING (1806-1844) THE SHEPHERD-BOY AND THE WOLF by AESOP |