Laughter And Death Poem by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

Laughter And Death

Rating: 2.7


THERE is no laughter in the natural world
Of beast or fish or bird, though no sad doubt
Of their futurity to them unfurled
Has dared to check the mirth-compelling shout.
The lion roars his solemn thunder out
To the sleeping woods. The eagle screams her cry.
Even the lark must strain a serious throat
To hurl his blest defiance at the sky.
Fear, anger, jealousy, have found a voice.
Love’s pain or rapture the brute bosoms swell.
Nature has symbols for her nobler joys,
Her nobler sorrows. Who had dared foretell
That only man, by some sad mockery,
Should learn to laugh who learns that he must die?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Willima Jens 02 February 2010

This is an extremely interesting poem the difference between man and beasts is man knows he's going to die and at best can only laugh about it...laugh in the face of death and darkness! I came to read Blunt because of the reference Ezra Pound makes of him in Canto 81...

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