Alfred, Lord Tennyson(1809–1892)
Sonnet 55: "The wish, that of the living whole"
T h e w i s h , t h a t o f t h e l i v i n g w h o l e
N o l i f e m a y fail b e y o n d t h e grave,
D e r i v e s i t n o t f r o m w h a t w e h a v e
T h e l i k e s t G o d w i t h i n t h e s o u l ?
A r e G o d a n d N a t u r e t h e n a t strife,
T h a t N a t u r e l e n d s s u c h evil d r e a m s ?
S o c a r e f u l o f t h e t y p e 0 s h e s e e m s ,species
S o c a r e l e s s o f t h e s i n g l e life;
T h a t I , c o n s i d e r i n g e v e r y w h e r e
Her secret meaning in her deeds,
A n d f i n d i n g t h a t o f f i f t y s e e d s
S h e o f t e n b r i n g s b u t o n e t o b e a r ,
I f a l t e r w h e r e I firmly trod,
A n d f a l l i n g w i t h m y w e i g h t o f c a r e s
U p o n t h e g r e a t w o r l d ' s altar-stairs
T h a t s l o p e t h r o u g h d a r k n e s s u p t o G o d ,
I stretch lame hands of faith, and grope,
And gather dust and chaff, and call
T o w h a t I f e e l i s L o r d o f all,
A n d f a i n t l y trust t h e larger h o p e .