John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
5058 William Wordsworth 1770-1850 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 5058 |
| AUTHOR: | William Wordsworth (1770–1850) |
| QUOTATION: | I have seen A curious child, who dwelt upon a tract Of inland ground, applying to his ear The convolutions of a smooth-lipped shell, To which, in silence hushed, his very soul Listened intensely; and his countenance soon Brightened with joy, for from within were heard Murmurings, whereby the monitor expressed Mysterious union with his native sea. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | The Excursion.Book iv. |
| WORKS: | William Wordsworth Collection. |
| Note 1. But I have sinuous shell of pearly hue; . . . . . Shake one, and it awakens; then apply Its polisht lips to your attentive ear, And it remembers its august abodes, And murmurs as the ocean murmurs there. Walter Savage Landor: Gebir, book v. [back] |