English poem
England! The Time Is Come When Thou Should'St Wean
Composed possibly in 1803.--Published 1807
This was one of the "Sonnets dedicated to Liberty"; afterwards called, "Poems dedicated to National Independence and Liberty."--Ed.
England! the time is come when thou should'st wean Thy heart from its emasculating food; The truth should now be better understood; Old things have been unsettled; we have seen Fair seed-time, better harvest might have been But for thy trespasses; and, at this day, If for Greece, Egypt, India, Africa, Aught good were destined, thou would'st step between. England! all nations in this charge agree: But worse, more ignorant in love and hate, Far--far more abject, is thine Enemy: Therefore the wise pray for thee, though the freight Of thy offences be a heavy weight: Oh grief that Earth's best hopes rest all with Thee!
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More by William Wordsworth
- Despond Who Will--_I_ Heard A Voice Exclaim
- Destined To War From Very Infancy
- Down A Swift Stream, Thus Far, A Bold Design
- Emperors And Kings, How Oft Have Temples Rung
- Ere With Cold Beads Of Midnight Dew
- Even As A Dragon'S Eye That Feels The Stress
- Fair Prime Of Life! Were It Enough To Gild
- Fallen, And Diffused Into A Shapeless Heap