The Tables Turned;
An Evening Scene, on the Same Subject by William Wordsworth
Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you’ll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
The sun, above the mountain’s head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.
Books! ’tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There’s more of wisdom in it.
And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.
She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless–
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:–
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
Great is the man or woman who can maintain a watchful, receptive heart amidst the ups and downs of life on earth. To my mind there is no greater challenge or need than than this.
The truth of love can be found all around. Wordsworth discovered it in nature. Where do you see it?
The truth of love can sometimes come from the most unexpected places. As you become conscious of this and increase sensitivity, it is actually surprising how many instances people miss. Most people live their lives with their eyes downcast, just trying to keep it together. When you learn to look around, you find that there are more things worth seeing than you could ever have imagined. I would say to Wordsworth that you can find amazement in books, art, and science as well!
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What a wonderful poem. There are so many areas I feel the power of the truth of love comes shining through. Art, music and nature are three of my greatest joys, but who could not be touched by the smile on a child’s face, the compassion of kindness, the innocence of a baby, the encouragemnt of one to another? So many things can light up my heart. Great post, thanks!
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I see it everywhere – nature, the hearts of my friends & family, a conversation, our pets and in people I’ve just met.
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