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Earth's Eternity

By John Clare

Topics: classic

Man, Earth's poor shadow! talks of Earth's decay:     But hath it nothing of eternal kin?     No majesty that shall not pass away?     No soul of greatness springing up within?     Thought marks without hoar shadows of sublime,     Pictures of power, which if not doomed to win     Eternity, stand laughing at old Time     For ages: in the grand ancestral line     Of things eternal, mounting to divine,     I read Magnificence where ages pay     Worship like conquered foes to the Apennine,     Because they could not conquer. There sits Day     Too high for Night to come at--mountains shine,     Outpeering Time, too lofty for decay.

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"Man, Earth's poor shadow! talks of Earth's decay:..."

This evocative piece by John Clare, titled "Earth's Eternity", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:John Clare

"Man, Earth's poor shadow! talks of Earth's decay:..." by John Clare

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

John Clare

About John Clare

John Clare (1793–1864) was an English poet known as the "peasant poet" for his humble origins. His nature poetry—including "I Am" and "Badger"—captures the English countryside with extraordinary precision and emotional honesty, and he is now recognized as one of the finest nature poets in the language.

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