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WALTER PATER, by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Gracious god rest him, he who toiled so well



Gracious God rest him! he who toiled so well

Secrets of grace to tell
Gracious God rest him! he who toiled so well
Graciously; as the awed rejoicing priest
Secrets of grace to tell
Officiates at the feast,
Graciously; as the awed rejoicing priest
Knowing how deep within the liturgies
Officiates at the feast,
Lie hid the mysteries.
Knowing how deep within the liturgies
Half of a passionately pensive soul
Lie hid the mysteries.
He showed us, not the whole:
Half of a passionately pensive soul
Who loved him best, they best, they only, knew
He showed us, not the whole:
The deeps they might not view;
Who loved him best, they best, they only, knew
That which was private between God and him;
The deeps they might not view;
To others, justly dim.
That which was private between God and him;
Calm Oxford autumns and preluding springs!
To others, justly dim.
To me your memory brings
Calm Oxford autumns and preluding springs!
Delight upon delight, but chiefest one:
To me your memory brings
The thought of Oxford's son,
Delight upon delight, but chiefest one:
Who gave me of his welcome and his praise,
The thought of Oxford's son,
When white were still my days;
Who gave me of his welcome and his praise,
Ere death had left life darkling, nor had sent
When white were still my days;
Lament upon lament:
Ere death had left life darkling, nor had sent
Ere sorrow told me how I loved my lost,
Lament upon lament:
And bade me base love's cost.
Ere sorrow told me how I loved my lost,
Scholarship's constant saint, he kept her light
And bade me base love's cost.
In him divinely white:
Scholarship's constant saint, he kept her light
With cloistral jealousness of ardour strove
In him divinely white:
To guard her sacred grove,
With cloistral jealousness of ardour strove
Inviolate by worldly feet, nor paced
To guard her sacred grove,
In desecrating haste.
Inviolate by worldly feet, nor paced
Oh, sweet grave smiling of that wisdom, brought
In desecrating haste.
From arduous ways of thought;
Oh, sweet grave smiling of that wisdom, brought
Oh, golden patience of that travailing soul
From arduous ways of thought;
So hungered for the goal,
Oh, golden patience of that travailing soul
And vowed to keep, through subtly vigilant pain,
So hungered for the goal,
From pastime on the plain,
And vowed to keep, through subtly vigilant pain,
Enamoured of the difficult mountain air
From pastime on the plain,
Up beauty's Hill of Prayer!
Enamoured of the difficult mountain air
Stern is the faith of art, right stern, and he
Up beauty's Hill of Prayer!
Loved her severity.
Stern is the faith of art, right stern, and he
Momentous things he prized, gradual and fair
Loved her severity.
Births of a passionate air:
Momentous things he prized, gradual and fair
Some austere setting of an ancient sun,
Births of a passionate air:
Its midday glories done,
Some austere setting of an ancient sun,
Over a silent melancholy sea
Its midday glories done,
In sad serenity:
Over a silent melancholy sea
Some delicate dawning of a new desire,
In sad serenity:
Distilling fragrant fire
Some delicate dawning of a new desire,
On hearts of men prophetically fain
Distilling fragrant fire
To feel earth young again:
On hearts of men prophetically fain
Some strange rich passage of the dreaming earth,
To feel earth young again:
Fulfilled with warmth and worth.
Some strange rich passage of the dreaming earth,
Ended, his service: yet, albeit farewell
Fulfilled with warmth and worth.
Tolls the faint vesper bell,
Ended, his service: yet, albeit farewell
Patient beneath his Oxford trees and towers
Tolls the faint vesper bell,
He still is gently ours:
Patient beneath his Oxford trees and towers
Hierarch of the spirit, pure and strong,
He still is gently ours:
Worthy Uranian song.
Hierarch of the spirit, pure and strong,
Gracious God keep him: and God grant to me
Worthy Uranian song.
By miracle to see
Gracious God keep him: and God grant to me
That unforgettably most gracious friend,
By miracle to see
In the never-ending end!
That unforgettably most gracious friend,
Gracious God rest him! he who toiled so well
In the never-ending end!
Secrets of grace to tell

Graciously; as the awed rejoicing priest

Officiates at the feast,
Knowing how deep within the liturgies
Lie hid the mysteries.
Half of a passionately pensive soul
He showed us, not the whole:
Who loved him best, they best, they only, knew
The deeps they might not view;
That which was private between God and him;
To others, justly dim.
Calm Oxford autumns and preluding springs!
To me your memory brings
Delight upon delight, but chiefest one:
The thought of Oxford's son,
Who gave me of his welcome and his praise,
When white were still my days;
Ere death had left life darkling, nor had sent
Lament upon lament:
Ere sorrow told me how I loved my lost,
And bade me base love's cost.
Scholarship's constant saint, he kept her light
In him divinely white:
With cloistral jealousness of ardour strove
To guard her sacred grove,
Inviolate by worldly feet, nor paced
In desecrating haste.
Oh, sweet grave smiling of that wisdom, brought
From arduous ways of thought;
Oh, golden patience of that travailing soul
So hungered for the goal,
And vowed to keep, through subtly vigilant pain,
From pastime on the plain,
Enamoured of the difficult mountain air
Up beauty's Hill of Prayer!
Stern is the faith of art, right stern, and he
Loved her severity.
Momentous things he prized, gradual and fair
Births of a passionate air:
Some austere setting of an ancient sun,
Its midday glories done,
Over a silent melancholy sea
In sad serenity:
Some delicate dawning of a new desire,
Distilling fragrant fire
On hearts of men prophetically fain
To feel earth young again:
Some strange rich passage of the dreaming earth,
Fulfilled with warmth and worth.
Ended, his service: yet, albeit farewell
Tolls the faint vesper bell,
Patient beneath his Oxford trees and towers
He still is gently ours:
Hierarch of the spirit, pure and strong,
Worthy Uranian song.
Gracious God keep him: and God grant to me
By miracle to see
That unforgettably most gracious friend,
In the never-ending end!






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