Monday, March 23, 2009

The crown upon the forehead of humanity.

It is 11:41 PM, and I am reading John Keats in preparation for British Literature tomorrow morning. In about twenty minutes, I'll probably venture over to Porter Park and swing for a bit, but for the moment, I thought I would share this passage...

"...the crown of these
Is made of love and friendship, and sits high
Upon the forehead of humanity.
All its more ponderous and bulky worth
Is friendship, whence there ever issues forth
A steady splendour; but at the tip-top
There hangs by unseen film, an orbed drop
Of light, and that is love: its influence,
Thrown in our eyes, genders a novel sense,
At which we start and fret; till in the end,
Melting into its radiance, we blend,
Mingle, and so become a part of it,--
Nor with aught else can our souls interknit
So wingedly: when we combine therewith,
Life's self is nourish'd by its proper pith,
And we are nurtured like a pelican brood."
John Keats' "The Pleasure Thermometer" from Book 1
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4 comments:

  1. iBoMarch 25, 2009 at 12:21 PM

    I like how at the top of friendship is love, and how that makes us fret till we become part of it. That's deep.

    That raises the question why are we uncomfortable with love as a part of friendship?

    ReplyDelete
  2. iBoMarch 25, 2009 at 12:21 PM

    PS- you should follow my blog :p

    ReplyDelete
  3. KaitlinMarch 25, 2009 at 9:49 PM

    Alrighty, Ivor, how do I follow a blog? There are a few blogs I want to follow, but I don't know how to add them or whatever...

    Second, what do you mean we are uncomfortable with love as a part of friendship??

    ReplyDelete
  4. iBoMarch 27, 2009 at 1:26 AM

    you go to my page and you click on the thing that says follow blog?

    In your dashboard i think theres a way too.

    ReplyDelete

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