Poems that have had a deep impact on me

1. Mortality
Author: William Knox

Also known by its first line "Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?" The poem was Abraham Lincoln's favorite. During a difficult time, I came across this poem and learnt it by heart.

Here is a link: Mortality
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Here are the opening lines:
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave
He passeth from life to his rest in the grave.
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The overwhelming mood is one of poignant loss and a recognition of the inevitability of death. (In a later posting, I shall write about the science-fiction novel "The Eyes of Heisenberg" which deals with a possible dystopian society in the distant future ruled by human and inhumane immortals).

 2. Garden of Proserpine
Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

I came across this poem at around the same time as "Mortality" by William Knox.
It did not have quite the same impact, but some lines (see below) have stayed with me.

Proserpine is another name for Persephone, Queen or Goddess of the Underworld in Greek mythology. (Note to fans of the movie Matrix: Monica Bellucci plays Persephone).

Here is a link to the poem: Garden of Proserpine
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Here are the specific lines that still send chills (in a good way) down my spine:

.....

Pale, beyond porch and portal,
    Crowned with calm leaves she stands
Who gathers all things mortal
    With cold immortal hands;

.....
She waits for each and other,
    She waits for all men born;
Forgets the earth her mother,
    The life of fruits and corn;
.....
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The awe-inspiring imagery evoked by the stanzas above has always stayed with me, and I often find myself reciting those lines.