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Sonnets Upon The Punishment Of Death - In Series, 1839 - XI - Ah, Think How One Compelled For Life To Abide

By William Wordsworth

Topics: classic

Ah, think how one compelled for life to abide Locked in a dungeon needs must eat the heart Out of his own humanity, and part With every hope that mutual cares provide; And, should a less unnatural doom confide In life-long exile on a savage coast, Soon the relapsing penitent may boast Of yet more heinous guilt, with fiercer pride. Hence thoughtful Mercy, Mercy sage and pure, Sanctions the forfeiture that Law demands, Leaving the final issue in 'His' hands Whose goodness knows no change, whose love is sure, Who sees, foresees; who cannot judge amiss, And wafts at will the contrite soul to bliss.

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"Ah, think how one compelled for life to abide..."

This evocative piece by William Wordsworth, titled "Sonnets Upon The Punishment Of Death - In Series, 1839 - XI - Ah, Think How One Compelled For Life To Abide", 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:William Wordsworth

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"Ah, think how one compelled for life to abide..." by William Wordsworth

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William Wordsworth

About William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was an English Romantic poet who launched the movement with Samuel Taylor Coleridge in "Lyrical Ballads" (1798). His poems—including "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and "Tintern Abbey"—championed nature, memory, and the language of common speech.

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