English Poetry. Lucy Maud Montgomery. The Choice. Люси Мод Монтгомери.

Lucy Maud Montgomery (Люси Мод Монтгомери)

The Choice

Life, come to me in no pale guise and ashen, 
I care not for thee in such placid fashion! 
I would share widely, Life, 
In all thy joy and strife, 
Would sound thy deeps and reach thy highest passion, 
With thy delight and with thy suffering rife. 

Whether I bide with thee in cot or palace, 
I would drink deeply, Life, of thy great chalice, 
Even to its bitter lees­
Yea, shrinking not from these, 
Since out of bitterness come strength and solace 
And wisdom is not won in slumberous ease. 

Wan peace, uncolored days, were a poor favor; 
To lack great pain and love were to lack savor. 
Life, take the heart of me 
And fill it brimmingly, 
No matter with what poignant brew or flavor, 
So that it may not shrunk and empty be. 

Yea, Life, thus would I live, nor play at living, 
The best of me for thy best gladly giving, 
With an unfaltering cheer, 
Greeting thee year by year, 
Even in thy dourest mood some good achieving, 
Until I read thy deep-hid meaning clear.

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s other poems:

1. The Hill Maples
2. The Truce of Night
3. When the Fishing Boats Go Out
4. The Old Man’s Grave
5. On the Bay

Poems of other poets with the same name (Стихотворения других поэтов с таким же названием):

Dante Rossetti (Данте Россетти) The Choice (“Think thou and act; to-morrow thou shalt die”)

William Yeats (Уильям Йейтс) The Choice (“The intellect of man is forced to choose”)

George Wither (Джордж Уидер) The Choice (“Me so oft my fancy drew”)

Edith Nesbit (Эдит Несбит) The Choice (“PLAGUE take the dull and dusty town”)

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