May the sunshine bring hope where it once was forgotten

[fightingthecage]

This? Is one of my favourite poems of all time. Given that I am a complete poetry dunce (I DON'T GET IT!!1!), I'm sure no one will be surprised to find out that it's, like, the favourite of the majority of people in England as well (as polled by the BBC or some such, a few years ago). Yay Empire and all that. And you can possibly blame Bridget Jones for making anyone under the age of twenty know it anyway.

Oh, and also some Shakespeare in there as well.


If, by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!

And to add the the Kultuure omg, now happening in this LJ post (for one day only!), here is my favourite piece of Shakespeare. The Agincourt speech from Henry V is a very close run second, because I adore it with all my heart, but this gets the top spot.

From Richard II (Act II, Scene i)

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.



Given that I would give everything I own to live in America, perhaps the patriotism seems odd. But no - things like that are the reason I'm patriotic. I love the UK. Yes, even Scotland. The culture and the art and the ideal of it. Look at the way Londoners dealt with the terrorist attacks last July. That's the real British spirit. I just wish it was more evident in day to day life. The fact that it isn't, makes me sad. And makes me want to leave.


Reasons for this random post? Wellll...I read a few things today that got my back up a bit. Arrogance and superiority and the like. So it made me want to post something I like instead. There it is.


Other news: Spoke to a mate today, that I haven't seen nor spoke to since last summer. But that's OK, because he's one of those friends that'll just always be friends, y'know? he told Housemate Jen a couple of months ago that he got engaged (Yay!) and tonight he's full of the news that tomorrow he moves into his very own house with his fiance. Hurrah! Added plus, they're going to start trying for a family straight away, although not getting married until Christmas. Yay them! Happy news.

Other happy news: My mother is thinking of giving me her car. Bonus! She was going to next year but now thinks she might do it now. I can't afford to run the thing but that's OK, I'll cope. We'll see. Also, she's giving me some cash tomorrow. Yay!

And...uhhh, Housemate Jen's new bf is taking her to Portugal in half-term - that's five weeks from now - and to Africa in the summer. They've been going out A WEEK! But it's allgood, because they've known each other two years already. And, frankly, I'll get the house to myself, so it's all of the YAY. Even if I will have to look after three dog and a horse. :D


OK, I'll shut up now. Just can't be bothered to go to bed is all, and I should.

...ack, one more thing. WHY IS LJ NOT WORKING PROPERLY?!!1! *fumes*

Comments

[ashen_key]

She can feel REMORSE, but, yeah.

Night!