From a College Window: On Academic Withdrawal

This morning I found myself at a little tucked-away display case at the University of Nottingham, in which were housed some of D.H. Lawrence’s draft poems, written while he was a student here.  One in particular caught my eye, reminding me of how comfortable it is to be on this side of the College window.  The later revised version was published in 1916, as follows:

From a College Window

The glimmer of the limes, sun-heavy, sleeping,
Goes trembling past me up the College wall.
Below, the lawn, in soft blue shade is keeping,
The daisy-froth quiescent, softly in thrall.

Beyond the leaves that overhang the street,
Along the flagged, clean pavement summer-white,
Passes the world with shadows at their feet
Going left and right.

Remote, although I hear the beggar’s cough,
See the woman’s twinkling fingers tend him a coin,
I sit absolved, assured I am better off
Beyond a world I never want to join.

~ by Matthew on October 2, 2008.