History & Politics

The times are nightfall

by Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844–1889

From Poems (1918)

History & Politics

THE times are nightfall, look, their light grows less;
The times are winter, watch, a world undone:
They waste, they wither worse; they as they run
Or bring more or more blazon man's distress.
And I not help. Nor word now of success:
All is from wreck, here, there, to rescue one--
Work which to see scarce so much as begun
Makes welcome death, does dear forgetfulness.

Or what is else? There is your world within.
There rid the dragons, root out there the sin.
Your will is law in that small commonweal . . .

MLA

Hopkins, Gerard Manley. “The times are nightfall.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/hopkins/58/.

Chicago

Hopkins, Gerard Manley. “The times are nightfall.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/hopkins/58/.

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