Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Plates
- Dedication
- General Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Poems from the Dobell Folio
- The Salutation
- Wonder
- Eden
- Innocence
- The Preparative
- The Instruction
- The Vision
- The Rapture
- The Improvment
- The Approach
- Dumnesse
- Silence
- My Spirit
- The Apprehension (‘Right Apprehension. II’)
- Fullnesse
- Nature
- Ease
- Speed
- The Designe (‘The Choice’)
- The Person
- The Estate
- The Enquirie
- The Circulation
- Amendment
- The Demonstration
- The Anticipation
- The Recovery
- Another
- Love
- Thoughts. I
- Blisse (Stanzas 5 & 6, ‘The Apostacy’)
- Thoughts. II
- ‘Ye hidden Nectars’
- Thoughts. III
- Desire
- ‘In thy Presence’ (Thoughts. IV)
- Goodnesse
- Poems of Felicity
- The Ceremonial Law
- Poems from the Early Notebook
- Textual Emendations and Notes
- Manuscript Foliation of Poems
- Glossary
- Index of Titles and First Lines
The Demonstration
from Poems from the Dobell Folio
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2015
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Plates
- Dedication
- General Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Poems from the Dobell Folio
- The Salutation
- Wonder
- Eden
- Innocence
- The Preparative
- The Instruction
- The Vision
- The Rapture
- The Improvment
- The Approach
- Dumnesse
- Silence
- My Spirit
- The Apprehension (‘Right Apprehension. II’)
- Fullnesse
- Nature
- Ease
- Speed
- The Designe (‘The Choice’)
- The Person
- The Estate
- The Enquirie
- The Circulation
- Amendment
- The Demonstration
- The Anticipation
- The Recovery
- Another
- Love
- Thoughts. I
- Blisse (Stanzas 5 & 6, ‘The Apostacy’)
- Thoughts. II
- ‘Ye hidden Nectars’
- Thoughts. III
- Desire
- ‘In thy Presence’ (Thoughts. IV)
- Goodnesse
- Poems of Felicity
- The Ceremonial Law
- Poems from the Early Notebook
- Textual Emendations and Notes
- Manuscript Foliation of Poems
- Glossary
- Index of Titles and First Lines
Summary
1
The Highest Things are Easiest to be shewn,
And only capable of being Known.
A Miste involvs the Ey,
While in the Middle it doth lie;
And till the Ends of Things are seen,
The Way's uncertain that doth stand between.
As in the Air we see the Clouds
Like Winding Sheets, or Shrouds;
Which tho they nearer are obscure
The Sun, which Higher far, is far more Pure.
2
Its very Brightness makes it neer the Ey,
Tho many thousand Leagues beyond the Skie.
Its Beams by violence
Invade, and ravish distant Sence.
Only Extremes and Hights are Known;
No Certainty, where no Perfection's Shewn.
Extremities of Blessedness
Compell us to confess
A God indeed. Whose Excellence,
In all his Works, must needs exceed all Sence.
3
And for this Caus Incredibles alone
May be by Demonstration to us shewn.
Those Things that are most Bright
Sun-like appear in their own Light.
And Nothing's truly seen that's Mean:
Be it a Sand, an Acorn, or a Bean,
It must be clothd with Endless Glory,
Before its perfect Story
(Be the Spirit ne're so Clear)
Can in its Causes and its Ends appear.
4
What can be more Incredible then this,
Where may we find a more profound Abyss?
What Heavnly Height can be
Transcendent to this Summitie!
What more Desirable Object can
Be offerd to the Soul of Hungering Man!
His Gifts as they to us com down
Are infinit, and crown
The Soul with Strange Fruitions; yet
Returning from us they more value get.
5
And what then this can be more Plain and Clear?
What Truth then this more Evident appear!
The GODHEAD cannot prize
The Sun at all, nor yet the Skies,
Or Air, or Earth, or Trees, or Seas,
Or Stars, unless the Soul of Man they pleas.
He neither sees with Humane Eys
Nor needs Himself Seas Skies
Or Earth, or any thing: He draws
No Breath, nor Eats or Drinks by Natures Laws.
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- The Works of Thomas Traherne VIPoems from the 'Dobell Folio', Poems of Felicity, The Ceremonial Law, Poems from the 'Early Notebook', pp. 49 - 52Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2014