Afflictions Sanctified by the Word
July 6, 2023We Are Children
July 6, 2023When We Are All Asleep
WHEN He returns, and finds the world so drear,
All sleeping, young and old, unfair and fair,
Will he stoop down and whisper in each ear,
“Awaken!” or for pity’s sake forbear,
Saying, “How shall I meet their frozen stare
Of wonder, and their eyes so full of fear?
How shall I comfort them in their despair,
If they cry out, ‘Too late! let us sleep here’?”
Perchance He will not wake us up, but when
He sees us look so happy in our rest,
Will murmur, “Poor dead women and dead men!
Dire was their doom, and weary was their quest.
Wherefore awake them into life again?
Let them sleep on untroubled—it is best.”
William Cosmo Monkhouse
William Cosmo Monkhouse (1840-1901) was an English poet and critic who was best known for his works that celebrated the beauty of the English countryside. He was also a prominent literary critic and his most famous works include "The Cornhill Magazine" and "Studies of Contemporary Poets." Monkhouse was a major figure in the English literary scene of the late 19th century.