Written in Emerson's Essays

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Written in Emerson's Essays by Matthew Arnold Sonnets (1849)

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Fourth in a series of ten sonnets by Matthew Arnold.

“O Monstrous, dead, unprofitable world,
That thou canst hear, and hearing, hold thy way!
A voice oracular hath peal’d to-day,
To-day a hero’s banner is unfurl’d;
Hast thou no lip for welcome?”—So I said.
Man after man, the world smil’d and pass’d by;
A smile of wistful incredulity
As though one spake of life unto the dead—
Scornful, and strange, and sorrowful, and full
Of bitter knowledge. Yet the will is free;
Strong is the soul, and wise, and beautiful;
The seeds of god-like power are in us still;
Gods are we, bards, saints, heroes, if we will!—
Dumb judges, answer, truth or mockery?

This work published before January 1, 1923 is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.