A. E. Housman (1859-1936)
A Shropshire Lad XII: When I watch the living meet
1When I watch the living meet,
2 And the moving pageant file
3Warm and breathing through the street
4 Where I lodge a little while,
5If the heats of hate and lust
6 In the house of flesh are strong,
7Let me mind the house of dust
8 Where my sojourn shall be long.
9In the nation that is not
10 Nothing stands that stood before;
11There revenges are forgot,
12 And the hater hates no more;
13Lovers lying two and two
14 Ask not whom they sleep beside,
15And the bridegroom all night through
16 Never turns him to the bride.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, & Co., 1896): 19-20. del H68 S551896 Fisher Rare Book Library
First publication date:
1896
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 1996-2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/13
Rhyme: abab
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