THE COMMONPLACE.

 Life is so weary commonplace! Too fair

Were those young visions of the poet and seer.

Nothing exciting ever happens here.

Just eat and drink, and dress and chat;

Life is so tedious, slow, and flat,

And every day alike in everywhere!

5Birth comes. Birth—

The breathing re-creation of the earth!

All earth, all sky, all God, life’s deep sweet whole,

Newborn again to each new soul!

“Oh, are you? What a shame! Too bad, my dear!

How well you stand it, too! It’s very queer

The dreadful trials women have to carry;

But you can’t always help it when you marry.

Oh, what a sweet layette! What lovely socks!

What an exquisite¹ puff² and powder box!

Who is your doctor? Yes, his skill’s immense—

But it’s a dreadful danger and expense!”

Love comes. Love—

And the world widens at the touch thereof;

Deepens and lightens till the answer true

To all life’s questions seems to glimmer³ through.

“Engaged? I knew it must be! What a ring!

Worth how much? Well, you are a lucky thing!

But how was Jack⁴ disposed of?” “Jack? Oh, he

Was just as glad as I was to be free.

You might as well ask after George and Joe

And all the fellows that I used to know!

I don’t inquire for his past Kate and Carry—

Every one’s pleased. It’s time, you know, to marry.”

Life comes. Life—

Bearing within it wisdom, work, and strife⁵.

6To do, to strive, to know, and, with the knowing,

To find life’s widest purpose in our growing.

“How are you, Jim? Pleasant weather to-day!

How’s business?” “Well, it doesn’t come my way.”

“Good-morning, Mrs. Smith! I hope you’re well!

Tell me the news!” “The news? There’s none to tell.

The cook has left; the baby’s got a tooth;

John has gone fishing to renew his youth.

House-cleaning’s due—or else we’ll have to move!

How sweet you are in that! Good-bye, my love!”

Death comes. Death—

Love cries to love, and no man answereth.

Death the beginning, Death the endless end,

Life’s proof and first condition, Birth’s best friend.

“Yes, it’s a dreadful loss! No coming back!

Never again! How do I look in black?

And then he suffered so! Oh, yes, we all

Are well provided for. You’re kind to call,

And Mrs. Green has lost her baby too!

Dear me! How sad! And yet what could they do?

With such a hard time as they have, you know,—

No doubt ’t was better for the child to go!”

Life is so dreary⁶ commonplace. We bear

One dull yoke⁷, in the country or the town.

We’re born, grow up, marry, and settle down.

7I used to think—but then a man must live!

The Fates dole⁸ out the weary years they give,

And every day alike in everywhere.a

1 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

2 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

3 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

6 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

7 yoke   

n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶

参考例句：

• An ass and an ox,fastened to the same yoke,were drawing a wagon.驴子和公牛一起套在轭上拉车。
• The defeated army passed under the yoke.败军在轭门下通过。

8 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。