The Philosopher and the Philanthropist

James Kenneth Stephen 1859 (London) – 1892



Searching an infinite Where,
  Probing a bottomless When,
    Dreamfully wandering,
    Ceaselessly pondering,
  What is the Wherefore of men:
  Bartering life for a There,
  Selling his soul for a Then,
    Baffling obscurity,
    Conning futurity,
  Usefulest, wisest of men!
  Grasping the Present of Life,
  Seizing a definite Now,
  Labouring thornfully,
  Banishing scornfully
  Doubts of his Whither and How:
  Spending his substance in Strife,
  Working a practical How,
  Letting obscurity
  Rest on futurity,
  Usefuler, wiser, I trow.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

22 sec read
27

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCCBABDDBEFGGFEFDDH
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 535
Words 76
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 20

James Kenneth Stephen

James Kenneth Stephen was an English poet, and tutor to Prince Albert Victor, eldest son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. more…

All James Kenneth Stephen poems | James Kenneth Stephen Books

1 fan

Discuss the poem The Philosopher and the Philanthropist with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Philosopher and the Philanthropist" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/20216/the-philosopher-and-the-philanthropist>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    17
    hours
    16
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which poet is known for writing "Ode to a Nightingale"?
    A Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    B William Wordsworth
    C Percy Bysshe Shelley
    D John Keats