conversation with a friend who was somewhat unreasonably
attached to modern books of Moral Philosophy."
Was the friend Sir James Mackintosh? or was it--a much more probable
supposition--his friend, S. T. Coleridge?--Ed.]
* * * * *
THE TABLES TURNED
AN EVENING SCENE ON THE SAME SUBJECT
Composed 1798.--Published 1798
Included among the "Poems of Sentiment and Reflection."--Ed.
* * * * *
THE POEM
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? [1]
The sun, above the mountain's head, 5
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, 10
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.
And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is [2] no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things, 15
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. 20
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can. [A]
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; 25
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those [3] barren leaves; 30
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
* * * * *
VARIANTS ON THE TEXT
[Variant 1:
1820.
Up! up! my friend, and clear your looks,
Why all this toil and trouble?
Up! up! my friend, and quit your books,
Or surely you'll grow double. 1798.]
[Variant 2:
1815.
And he is ... 1798.]
[Variant 3:
1837.
... these ... 1798.]
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE ON THE TEXT
[Footnote A: A mediaeval anticipation of this may be quoted in a
footnote.
"Believe me, as my own experience," once said St. Bernard, "you will
find more in the wo
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