Lately our poets loiter'd in green lanes,
Content to catch the ballads of the plains;
I fancied I had strength enough to climb
A loftier station at no distant time,
And might securely from intrusion doze
Upon the flowers thro' which Ilissus flows.
In those pale olive grounds all voices cease,
And from afar dust fills the paths of Greece.
My sluber broken and my doublet torn,
I find the laurel also bears a thorn.
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Comments1Wow, this poem really resonates with me. It makes me think about how sometime we are content with staying in our comfort zone and we believe we have potential to reach higher but when we actually try to climb, life has a way of showing us its not all sunshine and flowers. I love the imagery used in this poem, it transports me to a different time and place. Its a good reminder that there's always struggle behind every success and sometimes we can't do that without facing a thorn or two.