Perversity
PERVERSITY by WILFRED OWEN
We all love more the Passed and the To Be Than actual time, and far things more than near. Perverse we all are somehow; calling dear Rather the rare than fair. But as for me, How singular and sad that I should see More loveliness in Grecian marbles clear Than modern flesh, to beauty insincere; Less glory in a man than any tree.
I fall in love with children, elfin fair; Portraits; dark ladies in dark tales antique; Or instantaneous faces passed in streets. I know the dim old gods that never were, Better than men. One friend I love unique, But now, thou canst not dream I love thee, Keats!
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| Author | Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918) |
|---|---|
| Title | Perversity |
| Item Date | 1983 |
| File type | Text |
| Content | Poem |
| Repository name | ProQuest |
| Repository URL | http://lion.chawyck.co.uk |
| Copyright | The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted. |
| First line | We all love more the Passed and the To Be |
| Publication source | The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen |
| Publication editor | Stallworthy, Jon |
| Publishers | Chatto Windus |
| Publication place | London |
| Digital repository | The First World War Poetry Digital Archive |
| Reference URL | http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/3336 |
