The Sword of Song

2 A S C E N S I O N D A Y I FLUNG out of chapel1* and church, Temple and hall and meeting-room, Venus’ Bower and Osiris’ Tomb,2 And left the devil in the lurch, While God3 got lost in the crowd of gods,4 And soul went down5 in the turbid tide Of the metaphysical lotus-eyed,6 And I was—anyhow, what’s the odds ? The life to live ? The thought to think ? Shall I take refuge In a tower like once Childe Roland‡ found, blind, deaf, huge, Or in that forest of two hundred thousand Trees,8 fit alike to shelter man and mouse, and— Shall I say God? Be patient, your Reverence,9 I warrant you’ll journey a wiser man ever hence ! Let’s tap (like the negro who gets a good juice of it, Cares nought if that be, or be not, God’s right use of it),10 In all that forest of verses one tree11 Yclept “Red Cotton Nightcap Country”: How a goldsmith, between the Ravishing Virgin And a leman too rotten to put a purge in, Day by day and hour by hour, In a Browningesque forest of thoughts having lost himself, Expecting a miracle, solemnly tossed himself Off from the top of tower. Moral: don’t spoil such an excellent sport as an Ample estate with a church and a courtesan! “Truth, that’s the gold”12 But don’t worry about it! I, you, or Simpkin13 can get on without it! If life’s task be work and love’s (the soft-lippèd) ease, Death be God’s glory ? discuss with Euripides ! * The numbered notes are given at p. 48 † Bacon, “Essay on Truth,” line 1. ‡ “Childe Roland to the dark Tower came.”—BROWNING. Curious posi- tion of poet. What is Truth? said jesting Pilate: but Crowley waits for an answer.† Alternative theories of Greek authors. Browning’s summary. 5 10 15 20 25 30