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Retrospect And Forecast

Topics: classic

Turn round, O Life, and know with eyes aghast          The breast that fed thee - Death, disguiseless, stern;          Even now, within thy mouth, from tomb and urn,         The dust is sweet. All nurture that thou hast         Was once as thou, and fed with lips made fast          On Death, whose sateless mouth it fed in turn.          Kingdoms debased, and thrones that starward yearn,         All are but ghouls that batten on the past.         Monstrous and dread, must it fore'er abide,          This unescapable alternity?             Must loveliness find root within decay,             And night devour its flaming hues alway?          Sickening, will Life not turn eventually,         Or ravenous Death at last be satisfied?

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"Turn round, O Life, and know with eyes aghast..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Clark Ashton Smith delivers a powerful performance in "Retrospect And Forecast"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

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"Now as the twilight's doubtful interval          C..."

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