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Quote by Stephen Spender

“I think continually of those who were truly great . Who, from the womb, remembered the soul 's history Through corridors of light where the hours are suns , Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition Was that their lips, still touched with fire , Should tell of the spirit clothed from head to foot in song .”

Quote by Stephen Spender

Work

Selected Poems of Stephen Spender

This volume presents a curated selection of poems from Stephen Spender, a prominent figure in 20th-century English literature. The collection reflects Spender's exploration of political, social, and personal themes, offering a glimpse into his versatile poetic voice and profound insights. more

Author

Stephen Spender
Stephen Spender

Stephen Spender was a British poet known for his lyrical poetry and prose. His works often explore the relationship between the individual and society, as well as profound insights into history and culture. Born on February 28, 1909, he passed away on July 16, 1995. more

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“What is precious is never to forget, The delight of the blood drawn from ancient springs, Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth; Never to deny its pleasure in the simple morning light, Nor its grave evening demand for love; Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother, With noise and fog the flowering of the spirit.”

“To break out of the chaos of my darkness Into a lucid day is all my will. My words like eyes in night, stare to reach A centre for their light: and my acts thrown To distant places by impatient violence Yet lock together to mould a path of stone Out of my darkness into a lucid day.”

“The seen and seeing softly mutually strike Their glass barrier that arrests the sight. But the world's being hides in the volcanoes And the foul history pressed into its core; And to myself my being is my childhood And passion and entrails and the roots of senses; I'm pressed into the inside of a mask At the back of love, the back of air, the back of light.”

“Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields, See how these names are fêted in the waving grass And by the streamers of the white cloud And whispers of the wind in the listening sky. The names of those who in their lives fought for life, Who wore at their hearts the fire's centre. Born of the sun, they travelled a short while toward the sun And left the vivid air signed with their honour.”