'
This is from The Wishing-Gate Destroyed, a late poem, not published
till 1842, when Wordsworth was seventy-two years old. It is his
Nicene and Apostles' Creed and Thirty-Nine Articles. Trust, with no
credentials but its own existence, and yet they are indisputable.
'Is it that Man is soon deprest?
A thoughtless Thing! who, once unblest,
Does little on his memory rest,
Or on his reason.'
To the Daisy.
An example of Wordsworth's wisdom disclosing itself in his simplest
pieces. For one sad conclusion to which the reason leads us, the
uncontrolled, baseless procedure in the brain which we call
thinking, but is really day-dreaming, leads us to a score. Reason
on the whole is sanative.
'Blest Statesman He, whose Mind's unselfish will
Leaves him at ease among grand thoughts: whose eye
Sees that, apart from magnanimity,
Wisdom exists not, nor the humbler skill
Of Prudence, disentangling good and ill
With patient care.'
Exist not. We are befooled by words. We conceive wisdom, prudence,
and magnanimity as distinct entities, without intercommunication.
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