RISE ! FOR THE DAY IS PASSING

 

RISE ! FOR THE DAY IS PASSING

“Rise! for the day Is passing” is the first line of the poem  ‘NOW’ written by the English poet Adelaide Anne Proctor. She was a precocious child who began to compose significant poems as a teenager,  and got them  published in popular journals.  

Unfortunately, she fell a prey to tuberculosis, then an incurable disease which spread through air. Thus, her life span shrank from 30^th October 1825 to 2^nd February 1864.

‘NOW’ is one of her best poems.  It is motivational in nature  and has an eternal counsel for every human being.  The poet talks about the comparative importance of time  - the Present, the  Past and the Future. In her view, the present moment alone is the most reliable one for any effective  action. “The Past and Future are nothing /In the face of the stern Today.”  

She exhorts  the readers to rise from their dreams of the future, of gaining some hard-fought field, or storming some airy fortress or bidding some giant yield. Their future has deeds of glory and of honour (God grant it may!), but their  arm will never be stronger, or the need so great as today.

The poet compares the world to a battlefield where everyone has a fixed role to play.  The one who reaches there earlier than others wins the battle and occupies the field.    

The message of the poet for shedding lethargy , avoiding vain memories of the past and refraining  from fantasies about the future is everlasting.  It is not a message for any particular person or for any particular day, it is  one for whole humanity and for all times to come.

The full text of the poem reads as follows:

Rise! For the day is passing ,

And you  lie dreaming on;

The others have buckled their armour,

And forth to the fight are gone;

A place in the ranks awaits you,

Each man has role to play;

The Past and Future are nothing,

In the face of the stern today.

 

Rise from your dreams of the Future,

Of gaining some hard-fought field;

Of storming some airy fortress,

Of bidding some giant yield;

Your Future has deeds of glory,

Of honour (God rant it may!)

But your arm will never be stronger,

Or the need so great as Today.

 

Rise! if the Past detains you,

Her sunshine an storms forget;

No chains so unworthy to hold you

As those of a vain regret;

Sad or bright, she is lifeless ever;

Cast her phantom arms away,

Nor look back, save to learn the lesson

Of a nobler strife Today.

 

Rise! For the day is passing;

The sound hat you scarcely hear

Is the enemy marching to battle: -

Arise  for the foe is here!

Stay not to sharpen your weapons,

Or the hour will strike at last.

 

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5^th April 2022                                          G. R. KANWAL