East And West

In the bare midst of Anglesey they show
Two springs which close by one another play,
And, ‘Thirteen hundred years agone,’ they say,
‘Two saints met often where those waters flow.

‘One came from Penmon, westward, and a glow
‘Whiten’d his face from the sun’s fronting ray.
‘Eastward the other, from the dying day;
‘And he with unsunn’d face did always go.’

Seiriol the Bright, Kybi the Dark, men said.
The Seër from the East was then in light,
The Seër from the West was then in shade.

Ah! now ’tis changed. In conquering sunshine bright
The man of the bold West now comes array’d;
He of the mystic East is touch’d with night.

Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He is best remembered for his poetry, including works like 'Dover Beach,' and his influence on literary and social criticism. Arnold's work often grappled with the social issues and the loss of faith in the modern age, making him a central figure in the transition from Romanticism to Modernism in literature.

Matthew Arnold

English

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