The Pagan World
July 5, 2023Sohrab and Rustum: An Episode
July 5, 2023The Last Word
Creep into thy narrow bed,
Creep, and let no more be said!
Vain thy onset! all stands fast.
Thou thyself must break at last.
Let the long contention cease!
Geese are swans, and swans are geese.
Let them have it how they will!
Thou art tired: best be still.
They out-talked thee, hissed thee, tore thee?
Better men fared thus before thee;
Fired their ringing shot and passed,
Hotly charged – and sank at last.
Charge once more, then, and be dumb!
Let the victors, when they come,
When the forts of folly fall,
Find thy body by the wall!
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) was an English poet and critic known for his works that explored the tensions between tradition and modernity. He was also a prominent literary and cultural critic.