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Grieving

Surprized by joy

Surprized by joy—impatient as the Wind
I wished to share the transport—Oh! with whom
But Thee, long buried in the silent Tomb,
That spot which no vicissitude can find?
Love, faithful love recalled thee to my mind—
But how could I forget thee!—Through what power
Even for the least division of an hour,
Have I been so beguiled as to be blind
To my most grievous loss?—That thought’s return
Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore,
Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,
Knowing my heart’s best treasure was no more;
That neither present time, nor years unborn
Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) composed this poem in 1813, a year or so after the same year saw the death of his six-year-old son, Thomas (whom he described as his ‘heart’s best treasure’) and the untimely death of his three-year-old daughter Catherine. This touching sonnet is the tribute of a grieving parent.