To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

Back in my school days, when life was not all bits and bytes, one of the subjects I enjoyed was English literature.

I can’t remember when, (I’d say Standard 9 if I’d have to hazard a guess), our text included Ulysses - one of the best poems I’ve ever read.

That’s not to say that I’m a connoisseur at English poetry though!

As I venture into the world of blogging, I thought it might be apt to post the last few lines from this Alfred Lord Tennyson classic:

…. Come, my friends,
‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in the old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are,
One equal-temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

I remember our teacher, Mrs. Anuradha Choudhury, and her attempts to make a bunch of class 9 hooligans understand the great verse of Tennyson, at my alma-mater, St. Xaviers Collegiate School, Calcutta.

Those were the days, indeed!

~Raj

PS: The full poem can be read here.

3 comments ↓

#1 Pal Da on 08.24.08 at 11:04 pm

Oaff…parlam na. Ekdom Literature top-top kore porche polar gaa-r theke. But seriously, a great promising start. Looking fwd to more of this.

#2 Sujai on 08.25.08 at 8:05 am

It used to be Tamil literature for me . Now its expanding to English as well. Some of the quotes by Gil Grissom (lead character in CSI) from Shakespeare have inspired me very much.

#3 Anjani on 08.25.08 at 11:41 am

Nice poem :)

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