Monday, January 5, 2009

Poetry: Glory in the Flower


What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.

This is an excerpt from a very beautiful poem, Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by William Wordsworth. The whole poem can be read here, and I strongly suggest you do so if you're into poetry because it is breathtakingly beautiful. I have several collections of poems from different authors on pdf which you can get here. I was casually looking through them and I saw some poems my Dad used to read to us when we were young'uns and it brought back a flood of memories. Good times.

49 comments:

angie said...

Pretty!!

Unknown said...
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Pandabonium said...

Thanks for this. Beautiful poem.

TWINSKAT31 said...

Not sure why this poem gets to me, but it is just very moving and deep. I heard part of it off of a criminal mind episode. And had to look it up. It is three days later and I am still fascinated by it. What do you think Wordsworth is trying to say?

Unknown said...

Hello Twinskat31, I just finished watching the same criminal mind episode and I could not stop myself from looking this beautiful poem up.

Unknown said...

I found this from Criminal Minds too, and couldn't help but laugh at seeing others did, as well. I loved this poem, and can't stop reading it.

Unknown said...
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christie jo said...

i believe that like youth , innocence , trust, love, that the stunning immense and bursting beauty of our initial memory, our passion for and of something, someone, something that we no longer have or that has been tarnished and withered is physically gone to us. in our minds we carry mem ories in our hearts faith and love. faith and love carry that glory there in those places forever . thus , we never loose the true glory of the the flower of the the splendor in the grass. it will always be with along with its painful physical end. we have the ability to choose how its remembered, with bursting energy, unbridled passion, or youthful glory, and the beholders vision of its beauty. or the decay of its death.

christie jo said...

sorry so wordy with my response. one of my loves is wordsorth another is auden...truly lovely that they utilize these quotes and poetry to balance the horrors in this show. thank you for making me think and reminding me of of one my most enjoyed poems...

cass said...

Criminal minds brought me here too. Just finished watching it, although I've seen this episode before the poem stuck. I love the quotes they do but this one is hauntingly beautiful

Unknown said...

smart minds think alike. criminal minds too. :)

Nanc said...

Again criminal minds..how poetic in every aspect.

my mothers son said...

Saw the same show twice. I have an aging mother. She is 88. She is tired and wishes God would take her. I remember her strong, the mother of 4. Who by no help of her children raised them the best she cold when the love of her life was taken from her after a longbattle with lupus. This poem I would love to read to her. And is one of the most beautiful poems I have ever read and I've written had one published and read from published as well as unknown authers. This poem means to me the cycle of life we all go through,and the final withering away when we shed this shell,and and finally become free to fly strong and be as those left behind to be remembered In our hearts and souls.

Unknown said...

Criminal minds!!!! How funny is that!!! Its a great poem. Truly beautiful! !!

Anonymous said...

You also write beautifully. I enjoyed and share your opinion. Though like you, I too am a sentimentalist.

Unknown said...

I don't know if this makes sense or not, but I interpret this poem as a joy or light(child, person, metaphor, being, thing) that was affected by some tragedy(life, major event, something bad or life changing) and in recovering from this bad thing this "light" chooses to not grieve but to, as the poem states, "find strength in what remains behind..." and in finding this strength becomes wiser and, for obvious reasons, stronger; which is also stated in said poem, "out of human suffering...in the years that bring the philosophic mind" a.k.a. time to heal and so on... please someone let me know if this makes sense or not :)

Ayruvida said...

As before, so again. Criminal minds leads another here

Unknown said...

Criminal minds hotch & Reid favorites oh yeah poem was awesome lol

Unknown said...

Omg I just watched that old episode and had to look up the poem as well. Absolutely beautiful. ..enough said

Unknown said...

I just saw the episode of Criminal Minds. I feel like I understand what the poet means. The words are beautiful, the meaning is so deep. Awesome...I love it.

Unknown said...

Like so many others, Criminal Minds brought me to look up this poem. I've never been one for poetry, mostly because I never took the time to read it and try to understand, but I heard this and fell in love with it. I think I'll be looking up more poetry in the future (:

Unknown said...

Criminal minds also brings me here. this bring me inner peace... cant stop reading it... this is definitely one to share... glory In the flower!

just me said...

I must also admit that "Criminal Minds" caused me to search for the complete value of these words.... I don't mean to be introspective, but the words deeply speak to me as I am in a time of great dificulty. Whenever these (painful)things enter one's life, there is a choice in how one will respond/react. I struggle with that choice daily. This poem simply melted deep into my soul, and I truly don't have words to describe the strength, and even comfort I found in this lovely use of words.

just me said...
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Meg Sully said...

Ditto. I just had to hear the rest of the poem. Always looking for a new quote. This one will come in handy.

Unknown said...

Wow, I too just saw this old Criminal Mind rerun and had to look up the poem.

Unknown said...

Like many others that have left comments I too saw this on "Criminal Minds." It struck a chord with me because just over a month ago I lost my husband. Somehow it made me feel better.

Unknown said...

Just looked up the poem after watching criminal minds on UK TV, great words from WW. Always try to follow the poem or quotes after this programme , this is one of the best.

Unknown said...

Usually Criminal Minds says who wrote the quote/poem in the end. But this time they didn't. So I too found myself googling the same as all of you. Great poem!!

Unknown said...

I too just watched this episode. Very touching. I plan on learning this and reciting it to my daughters.

Unknown said...

I believe you to be close. I believe he wants us to have faith that "winter" or pain will pass & we will be reunited with the sun again

Unknown said...

Thank you, words full of meaning, specially nowadays...

ChrisL said...

The movie, starring Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood, "Splendor in the Grass" is what made me look up the whole poem. It is very haunting but in many ways, soothing.

Unknown said...

Also heard this poem on criminal minds.but first saw it in the movie Slender in the grass. In th,e, 60s.it is haunting and I can't re
ad it without crying. I realized it was he because of my feelings for my 1st love 50 ytrs ago.I didnt realize this till he contacted me 50 yes later.my love for him never ended.!

Unknown said...

Also heard this poem on criminal minds.but first saw it in the movie Slender in the grass. In th,e, 60s.it is haunting and I can't re
ad it without crying. I realized it was he because of my feelings for my 1st love 50 ytrs ago.I didnt realize this till he contacted me 50 yes later.my love for him never ended.!

Unknown said...

I lost my mother last month, and last night I watched this old episode of Criminal Mind and I heard this poem...I quickly got on the internet and searched...awww I cried after reading it...its a lovely poem and I forward it to all my siblings.

Unknown said...

I also saw the same episode a few days ago. I was fortunate to have this read in my college engilsh class. My teacher asked us to come up with interpretations that are unique.then he read them in class. It is quite interesting how other world views can make a difference on the way a person thinks. I think that this was written in his mind how he felt at that time in his life. Once he was able to write, he was very intelligent and wrote these 131 lines as an older youth. Such a beautiful poem to have such dread and doom to the end.

Unknown said...

I watched criminal minds and found this website after seeing the episode, the quote really made me think of the people I have lost in life,
It's a truly beautiful poem and quote.
I think a lot of us have come here after seeing that episode of criminal minds.
I like the various quotes and have searched a few. I'm glad I have been led to this poem and to this quote and won't forget it.
Thank you

Unknown said...

Thank you so much. Your works are fantastic and very useful for all of us. We are waiting for your next post. Thank you.
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NeverGiveUp said...

I don't know if the Author of this site keeps up on comments, but it really speaks volumes to both the poetry of William Wordsworth and the TV Show Criminal Minds that commentary is still going on almost 10 years after her original post!
I heard the poem on Criminal Minds as well and just had to know who the Author was and find out if there was more to the poem. So good!

Thanks for the original post in 2009 !!!

Renee said...

Your meanings of the poem are very much inspiring but I feel that they used this passage of the poem to let the reader know that the lost of a love one show be remembered by its beauty and not by the horrific ways that life can leave us. Always look to the stars. In beauty is for all

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mathman1 said...

Our local library has an enormous number of movies and TV DVDs and, you guessed it, I am watching the Criminal Minds series and had to look up this poem. I will be perusing this site. I am into fixing things and understand how machines work but I have a very limited in understanding of human emotion. The comments are EXTREMELY helpful! Thanks!

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Unknown said...

It is 10 yrs later and watching Criminal minds rerun had me looking up Wadsworths quote of glory is the flower. I was so moved and days later continue to be that I have watched Splendor in the Grass with Wood and Beauty. I dare venture to say one of the best movies I've ever seen. If you haven't seen its a must see.