ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE

I the grain and the furrow,

The plough-cloven clod And the ploughshare drawn thorough,

The germ and the sod,

The deed and the doer, the seed and the sower, the dust which is God.

Hast thou known how I fashion'd thee,

Child, underground ? Fire that impassion'd thee,

Iron that bound,

Dim changes of water, what thing of all these hast thou known of or found ?

Canst thou say in thine heart

Thou hast seen with thine eyes With what cunning of art

Thou wast wrought in what wise,

By what force of what stuff thou wast shapen, and shown on my breast to the skies ?

Who hath given, who hath sold it thee,

Knowledge of me ? Has the wilderness told it thee ?

Hast thou learnt of the sea ?

Hast thou communed in spirit with night ? have the- winds taken counsel with thee ?

Have I set such a star

To show light on thy brow That thou sawest from afar

What I show to thee now ?

Have ye spoken as brethren together, the sun and the mountains and thou ?

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