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"THE HEARKENING"/"Easter Wings"

Cited:

Herbert, George. "Easter Wings."

Pritchard, N.H. The Matrix. Poems 1960-1970.


Here are two poems which might be good fun to set side-by-side before a bright group of students: "Easter Wings" by George Herbert and "The Hearkening" by N.H. Pritchard. The comparisons are there, and so are the contrasts.


I won't bother typing out the Herbert poem, because it's easy to Google, but make sure you find a good facsimile of the original poem rather than an overly modified version.


I will attempt to type out the Pritchard, because the internet does not readily offer it up. However -- important note: I'm very sure I've made mistakes in trying to recreate the spacing in this poem. The way it looks on the page matters a great deal for how the work is read, so please make sure you get the original. Maybe think of what I've provided here as a thumbnail of the poem rather than the poem.


THE HEARKENING


W hA t c la im o fw i ll

d id d efe nd i ts pe rch

sear ching th rough d plai ns of m ist

rem ain ing q uie tl y

r eg a in in g

m ig h t

t hee

be

if wha t wa s sai d shoul d

spr ead o f l i g h t

lif ting g rim 2 h eig hts of b right

b r ought b ack a g ain

da dirt h o fsh all

sha ll we

c o m e

k in d pi lgr im


pu t u pon b yso m e o dd s tar

a nd fart he r

the n

s t rove of t tosi n g

t h eque sto flig h t

t hetru t h t obr i n g



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