Poem by James Kenneth Stephen

The Philosopher and the Philanthropist

Searching an infinite Where,
Probing a bottomless When,
Dreamfully wandering,
Ceaselessly pondering,
What is the Wherefore of men:
Bartering life for a There,
Selling his soul for a Then,
Baffling obscurity,
Conning futurity,
Usefulest, wisest of men!
Grasping the Present of Life,
Seizing a definite Now,
Labouring thornfully,
Banishing scornfully
Doubts of his Whither and How:
Spending his substance in Strife,
Working a practical How,
Letting obscurity
Rest on futurity,
Usefuler, wiser, I trow.

1. Steam-Launches on the Thames
2. The Last Ride Together (after Browning)
3. After the Golden Wedding (Three Soliloquies)
4. The Malefactor's Plea
5. To R. K.

Print

1280 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version