note 1

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
 ROBERT BROWNING 

Robert browning was son of well to do official of the bank of England. After the ages of fourteen he had little formal education but educated himself privately man with the help and encouragement of his father a highly cultivated man with the help an excellent library. Thanks to his father's generosity browning was able to devote his whole life to literature. His early long poem pauline, paracelsus and sordello attracted much attention because of their originally and forcefulness but their terse and vigorous style sometimes degnerated into an awkwardness and obscurity that repelled his less intellectual and persevering readers. Fortunately he never again was to write a poem as obscure as sordello. He wrote many beautiful lyrics but the most striking and characteristic of the shorter poems are his dramatic monologues soliloquies spoken by all manner of men and women of various places and periods. His greatest long poem is the ring and the book a work of great force and originally in which the story of a murder is told time after time from the viewpoints of the different participants in tragedy...

poetry 17

LINES FROM ULYSSES
ALFRED TENNYSON

Souls that have toil'd and wrought and thought with me-my mariners
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine and opposed 
Free hearts free foreheads you and i are old 
Old age hath yet his honor and his toil\
Death closes all but something the end
Not unbecoming men that strove with gods
The long day wanes the slow moon climbs the deep 
Moans round with many voices come my friends
Tis not too late to seek a newer world
Push off and sitting well in order smite 
The sounding furrows for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset and the baths
Of all the western stars until die 
It may be that the gulf's will wash us down
It may be we shall touch the happy isles
And see the great achilles whom we knew
Tho much is taken much abides and tho 
We are not now that strength which old days
Moved earth and heaven that which we are we are
One equal temper heroic hearts
Made weak by time and fate but strong in will
To strive to seek to find and not to yield,,,,,

poetry 16

LINES FROM AN ESSAY ON MAN
ALEXANDER POPE

Heaven from all creatures hides book of fate
All but the page prescribe their present state
From brutes what men from men what spirits know
Or who could suffer being here below 
The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed today
Pleased to the last he crops the flowery food
And licks the hand just raised to shed his blood
O blindness to the future kindly given 
That each may fill the circle marked by heaven 
Who see with equal eye as God of all 
A hero perish or a sparrow fall
Atoms or system into ruin hurled
And now a bubble burst and now a world
Hope humbly then with trembling pinion soar
Wait the great teacher death and God adore
What future bliss he gives not thee to know
But gives that hope to be thy blessing now
Hope springs eternal in the human breast
Man never is but always to be blest
The soul uneasy and confined from home
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.......

poetry 15

I HAD REACHED YOUR DOORSTEP
G. ALLANA 

I lost the scroll of instruction you gave 
To guide to the door of your house
I sat in distress on life cross roads 
And asked wayfarers and the caravans
To show me the way to my destination
Some said the way was long and tortuous 
You said it is short and delectable
Others opined it was narrow winding abd 
         uphill
You had said it is straight and universal
They should it is dream bigoted
        fanatics
You had said it is the ultimate really
In a world that is worth but a moment
Then you came and handed me the chart
I found i was sitting at the very gate
Not knowledge i had reached your doorsteps...

poetry 14

INCIDENT OF THE FRENCH CAMP
ROBERT BROWNING

You know we french stormed ratisbon
A mile or so away
On a little mound napoleon
Stood on our storing day
With neck out thrust you fancy how
Legs wide arms locked behind
As if to balance the prone brow
Oppressive with its mind

Just as perhaps he mused my plans
That soar to earth may fall
Let once my army leader lanes 
Waver at yonder wall
Our twixt the battery smokes there flaw
A rider bound on bound 
Full galloping nor bridle drew
Until he reached the mound 

Then off here flung in smiling joy
And held himself erect
By just his horse's mane a boy
You hardly could suspect
So tight he kept his lips compressed
Scare any blood came through
You looked twice you saw his breast 
Was all but shot in two

Well cried he emperor by God grace
We got you ratisbon
The marshal in the market place
And you be there anon
To see your flag bird flap his vans 
Where i to heart desire
Perched hum the chief eye flashed his plans 
Soared up again like fire

The chief eye flashed but presently
Softened itself as sheathes
A film the  mother eagle eye 
When her bruised eaglet breathes 
You're wounded nay his soldier pride 
Touched to the quick he said
I'm killed sire and his chief beside
Smiling the boy fell dead...

poetry 13

ABOU BEN ADHEM
LEIGH HUNT

Abou Ben Adhem may his increase 
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace
And saw within the moonlight in his room
Making it rich and like a lily in bloom 
An angle writing in a book of gold
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold
And to the presence in the room he said
What writest thou? The vision raised its head
And with a look made of all sweet accord 
Answered the names of those who love the lord

And is mine one? said Abou nay not so
Replied the angel Abou spoke more low 
But cheer still and said i pray thee then
Write me as one that loves his fellow men 
The angel wrote and vanished the next night
It came again with a great wakening light 
And show'd the names whom love of god had bless 'd
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest......

poetry 12

 SAY NOT THE STRUGGLE NAUGHT
AVAILETH

ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH

 Say not the struggle naught availeth
The labor and the wounds are vain 
The enemy faints not not faileth
And as things have been they remain
If hopes were dupes fears may be liars
It may be in yon smoke conceal'd 
Your comrades chase now the fliers 
And but for you possess the field 
For while the tired waves vainly breaking
Seem here no painful inch to gain
Far back through creeks and inlets making
Comes silent flooding in the main
And not by eastern windows only
When daylight comes in the light 
In front the sun climbs slow  how slowly 
But westward look the land is bright!!!!!!!!!!

poetry 11

THE SOLITARY REAPER
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
Be hold her single in the field
Yon solitary highland lass
Reaping and singing by herself
Stop here or gently pass
Alone she cuts and binds the grain 
And sings a melancholy strain
O listen for the vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound
No nightingale did over chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands 
Of travelers in some shady haunt 
Among Arabian sands
A voiced so thrilling ne'er was heard 
In spring time from the cuckoo bird 
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest he brides
Will no one tell me what she sings
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old unhappy far off things 
And battles long ago
Or is it some more humble say
Familiar matter of today
Some natural sorrow loss or pain
That has been and may be again
What the theme the maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending
I saw her singing at her work
And the sickle bending
I listen motion less and still 
And as i mounted up the hill
The music in my heart i bore
Long after it was heard no more........

poetry 10

LINES FROM SAMSON AGONISTES
JOHN MILTON
These lines from Milton's great poetic drama describe the death of its hero Samson. He was a man of immense strength but had been take captive  through the treachery of his wife by the philistines the deadly enemies of his race. As this passage describes he saved his people bu using his strength to kill the philistines leaders but in bringing down the roof of a great temple upon the heads of those assemble there he sacrificed 
his own life at the same time.
He patient but undaunted where they led him,
Came to the place and what was set before him
Which without help of eyes might be assayed
To heave pull draw or break he still performed
All with incredible stupendous force
None daring to appear antagonist
At length for intermission sake they led him
Between the pillars he his guide requested 
For so from such as nearer stood we heard
As over tired to let him which when Samson 
Felt in his arms with head a while inclined 
And eyes fast fixed he stood as one who prayed 
Or some great matter in his mind revolved 
At last with head erect thus cried aloud
Hitherto lords what your commands imposed
I have performed as reason was obeying
Not without wonder or delight beheld
Now of my own accord such other trial
I mean to show you of my strength yet greater
As with amaze shall strike all who behold
This uttered straining all his nerves he bowed
As with force of winds and waters pent
When mountains tremble those two massy pillars
With horrible convulsion to and fro
He tugged he shook till down they came and drew 
The whole roof after them with burst of thunder 
Lords ladies captains counsellors or priests
Their choice nobility and flowers not only
Of this but each philistian city round 
Met from all parts to solemnize this feat
Samson with these inmixed invitably
Pulled down the same destruction on himself.....

poetry 9

LINES FROM THE DESERTED VILLAGE
OLIVER GOLDSMITH
Sweet auburn liveliest village of the plain
Where health and plenty cheered the laboring swain
Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid
And parting summer lingering blooms delayed
Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease
Seats of my youth when every sport could please
How often have i loitered thy green
Where humble happiness endear'd each scene 
How often have i paused on every charm
The sheltered cot the cultivated farm
The never failing brook the busy mill
The decent church the topped the neighboring 
The hawthorn bush with seats beneath the shade
For talking age and whispering lovers made
How often have i best the coming day
When toil remitting lent its turn to play
And all the village train from labor free
Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree
Will many a pastime circled in the shade
The young contending as the old surveyed 
And many a gambol frolicked the ground
And sleights  of art and feats of strength went round
And still as each repeated pleasure tired
Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspired 
The dancing pair that simply sought renown 
By holding out to tire each other down 
The swain mistrust less of his smutted face
While secret laughter tittered round the place
The bashful virgin side long looks of love
The matron's glance that would those looks reprove
These were thy charms sweet village sports like these
With sweet succession taught even toil please
These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed
These were thy charms but all these charms are fled
These were thy charms but all these charms are fled
I ares the land to hastening ills a prey
Where wealth accumulates and men decay
Princess and lords may flourish or may fade
A breath can make then as a breath has made
But a bold peasantry their country pride
When once destroyed can never be supplied.......

poetry 8

MUSIC WHEN SOFT VOICES DIE
PERCY BYSSHE SHELLY

Music when soft voices die
vibration in the memory
Odours when sweet violets sickens 
Live within the sense they quicken
Rose leaves when the rose is dead
Are heaped for the beloved bed 
And so thy thoughts when thou art gone
Love itself shall slumber on....