The Prelude (an excerpt)

And homeward led my steps. Magnificent
The morning rose, in memorable pomp,
Glorious as e’er I had beheld–in front,
The sea lay laughing at a distance; near,
The solid mountains shone, bright as the clouds,
Grain-tinctured, drenched in empyrean light;

And in the meadows and the lower grounds
Was all the sweetness of a common dawn–
Dews, vapours, and the melody of birds,
And labourers going forth to till the fields.
Ah! need I say, dear Friend! that to the brim
My heart was full; I made no vows, but vows
Were then made for me; bond unknown to me
Was given, that I should be, else sinning greatly,
A dedicated Spirit. On I walked
In thankful blessedness, which yet survives.

This is an excerpt from The Prelude or, Growth of a Poet’s Mind; An Autobiographical Poem, a 14-book autobiographical poem in blank verse by the English poet William Wordsworth. This poem is in the public domain.