E. Housman
E. Housman
asylums cambridge
I find Cambridge an asylum, in every sense of the word.
lying sleep night
Lovers lying two and two Ask not whom they sleep beside, And the bridegroom all night through Never turns him to the bride.
friendship light fire
Now hollow fires burn out to black, And lights are guttering low: Square your shoulders, lift your pack And leave your friends and go.
poison body belief
Mithridates, he died old. Housman's passage is based on the belief of the ancients that Mithridates the Great [c. 135-63 B.C.] had so saturated his body with poisons that none could injure him. When captured by the Romans he tried in vain to poison himself, then ordered a Gallic mercenary to kill him.
lying believe men
Hope lies to mortals And most believe her, But man's deceiver Was never mine.
lying moon white
White in the moon the long road lies.
strong heaven earth
Earth and high heaven are fixed of old and founded strong.
flower farewell heart
Because I liked you better Than suits a man to say, It irked you, and I promised I'd throw the thought away. To put the world between us We parted stiff and dry: 'Farewell,' said you, 'forget me.' 'Fare well, I will,' said I. If e'er, where clover whitens The dead man's knoll, you pass, And no tall flower to meet you Starts in the trefoiled grass, Halt by the headstone shading The heart you have not stirred, And say the lad that loved you Was one that kept his word.
life love-you brave
Oh when I was in love with you, Then I was clean and brave, And miles around the wonder grew How well did I behave. And now the fancy passes by, And nothing will remain, And miles around they'll say that I Am quite myself again.
sleep journey enough
When the journey's over/There'll be time enough to sleep.
poetry rats terriers
I could no more define poetry than a terrier can define a rat.
dance drinking dancing
Oh, 'tis jesting, dancing, drinking Spins the heavy world around.
heart hands half
He would not stay for me, and who can wonder? He would not stay for me to stand and gaze. I shook his hand, and tore my heart in sunder, And went with half my life about my ways.
people dumb church
The bells they sound on Bredon, And still the steeples hum. "Come all to church, good people"- Oh, noisy bells, be dumb; I hear you, I will come.