Time & Brevity

“Why do I?”

by Thomas Hardy 1840–1928

From Human Shows, Far Phantasies, Songs and Trifles (1925)

Time & Brevity

Why do I go on doing these things?
Why not cease?
Is it that you are yet in this world of welterings
And unease,
And that, while so, mechanic repetitions please?

When shall I leave off doing these things? —
When I hear
You have dropped your dusty cloak and taken you wondrous wings
To another sphere,
Where no pain is: Then shall I hush this dinning gear.

MLA

Hardy, Thomas. ““Why do I?”.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/hardy/669/.

Chicago

Hardy, Thomas. ““Why do I?”.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/hardy/669/.

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