Included in 1820 among the "Poems of Sentiment and Reflection"; in 1827, and afterwards, it was classed with those "founded on the Affections."-ED. THE fields which with covetous spirit we sold, Would have brought us more good than a burthen of gold,1 5 When the troublesome Tempter beset us, said I, "Let him come, with his purse proudly grasped in his hand; But, Allan, be true to me, Allan,—we'll die 2 Before he shall go with an inch of the land!” There dwelt we, as happy as birds in their bowers; ΙΟ We could do what we liked 3 with the land, it was ours; But now we are strangers, go early or late; With my hand on the latch of the half-opened gate,4 15 1 1820. the delight of our day, MS. O fools that we were-we had land which we sold MS. MS. The fields that together contentedly lay Would have done us more good than another man's gold 2 1820. MS. When the bribe of the Tempter beset us, said I, MS. 3 1836. chose 1820 and MS. 4 1820. When my hand has half-lifted the latch of the gate, MS. When I walk by the hedge on a bright summer's day, Or sit in the shade of my grandfather's tree, A stern face it puts on, as if ready to say, "What ails you, that you must come creeping to me!" 21 With our pastures about us, we could not be sad; We slighted them all,—and our birth-right was lost.1 Oh, ill-judging sire of an innocent son 25 Who must now be a wanderer! but peace to that Think of evening's repose when our labour was done, 30 And in sickness, if night had been sparing of sleep, Now I cleave to the house, and am dull as a snail; vale, We've no land in the Save six feet of earth where our forefathers lie! But the blessings, and comfort, and wealth that we had, 1820 and MS. But we traitorously gave the best friend that we had MS. 2 1820. When my sick crazy body had lain without sleep, MS. ADDRESS TO MY INFANT DAUGHTER, DORA,* ON BEING REMINDED THAT SHE WAS A MONTH OLD THAT DAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Composed September 16, 1804.--Published 1815 Included by Wordsworth among his "Poems of the Fancy.” -ED. -HAST thou then survived Mild Offspring of infirm humanity, Meek Infant! among all forlornest things But what is time? What outward glory? neither A measure is of Thee, whose claims extend 5 ΙΟ Through "heaven's eternal year."†-Yet hail to Thee, 15 Thy scanty breathing-time is portioned out And rudely canopied by leafy boughs, 20 On the blank plains,—the coldness of the night, 25 * The title from 1815 to 1845 was Address to my Infant Daughter, on being reminded that she was a Month old, on that Day. After her death in 1847, her name was added to the title.-ED. + See Dryden's poem, To the pious memory of the accomplished young lady, Mrs. Anne Killigrew, I. 1. 15.—ED. Have scored thine age, and punctually timed Who might have wandered with thee.-Mother's love, Do for thee what the finger of the heavens Though strong, is, in the main, a joyless tie And first ;-thy sinless progress, through a world Apt likeness bears to hers, through gathered clouds, And cheering oft-times their reluctant gloom. 50 Fair are ye both, and both are free from stain : But thou, how leisurely thou fill'st thy horn With brightness! leaving her to post along, 55 60 A mournful labour, while to her is given Hope, and a renovation without end. -That smile forbids the thought; for on thy face Smiles are beginning, like the beams of dawn, To shoot and circulate; smiles have there been seen; Thy loneliness or shall those smiles be called The text of this poem was never altered.-Ed. THE KITTEN AND FALLING LEAVES * Composed 1804.-Published 1807 70 75 [Seen at Town-end, Grasmere. The elder-bush has long since disappeared; it hung over the wall near the cottage: and the kitten continued to leap up, catching the leaves as here described. The Infant was Dora.-I. F.] One of the "Poems of the Fancy." In Henry Crabb Robinson's Diary, etc., under date Sept. 10, 1816, we find, "He" (Wordsworth) "quoted from The Kitten and the Falling Leaves to show he had connected even the kitten with the great, awful, and mysterious powers of Nature."-ED. THAT way look, my Infant,1 lo! What a pretty baby-show! See the Kitten on the wall, Sporting with the leaves that fall, * In the editions of 1807-1832 the title was The Kitten and the Falling Leaves.-ED. |