The Impercipient

Thomas Hardy 1840 (Stinsford) – 1928 (Dorchester, Dorset)



(at a Cathedral Service)

     THAT from this bright believing band
        An outcast I should be,
     That faiths by which my comrades stand
        Seem fantasies to me,
     And mirage-mists their Shining Land,
        Is a drear destiny.

     Why thus my soul should be consigned
        To infelicity,
     Why always I must feel as blind
        To sights my brethren see,
     Why joys they've found I cannot find,
        Abides a mystery.

     Since heart of mine knows not that ease
        Which they know; since it be
     That He who breathes All's Well to these
        Breathes no All's Well to me,
     My lack might move their sympathies
        And Christian charity!

     I am like a gazer who should mark
        An inland company
     Standing upfingered, with, "Hark! hark!
        The glorious distant sea!"
     And feel, "Alas, 'tis but yon dark
        And wind-swept pine to me!"

     Yet I would bear my shortcomings
        With meet tranquillity,
     But for the charge that blessed things
        I'd liefer have unbe.

     O, doth a bird deprived of wings
        Go earth-bound wilfully!
          .     .     .     .
     Enough. As yet disquiet clings
        About us. Rest shall we.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 04, 2023

54 sec read
355

Quick analysis:

Scheme X ABABAB CACBCB DBDBDB EBEBEB FAFB FB FB
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,196
Words 179
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 1, 6, 6, 6, 6, 4, 5

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy, was not a Scottish Minister, not a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland nor a Professor of Eccesiastical History at Edinburgh University. more…

All Thomas Hardy poems | Thomas Hardy Books

11 fans

Discuss the poem The Impercipient with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Impercipient" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/36517/the-impercipient>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    18
    hours
    6
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "A Dream Within A Dream"?
    A Edgar Allan Poe
    B William Blake
    C Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    D Percy Bysshe Shelley