Exaggeration

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

　　

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We overstate the ills of life, and take Imagination (given us to bring down The choirs of singing angels overshone By God's clear glory) down our earth to rake The dismal snows instead, flake following flake, To cover all the corn; we walk upon The shadow of hills across a level thrown, And pant like climbers: near the alder brake We sigh so loud, the nightingale within Refuses to sing loud, as else she would. O brothers, let us leave the shame and sin Of taking vainly, in a plaintive mood, The holy name of grief! holy herein That by the grief of one came all our good.

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