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ReadingWillow structured literacy program for Australian students
Poetry Library

— Stephen Crane

I stood upon a high place,

And saw, below, many devils

Running, leaping,

And carousing in sin.

…

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Engaged in or ready for action; characterized by energetic work, thought, or speech.

“The students were very active in class discussions, asking many thoughtful questions.”

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King with that whole matter Even as

64 lines
Andrew Marvell·1621–1678
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is present Majesty's happy restoration diditself, so all things else happen in their best andproper time, without any need of our officious-ness.'' We shall see that throughout his lifeMarvell maintained his loyal feeling for theKing, bad as that King might be, and had forhis constant aim the removal of the evil coun-sellors who led him astray. But after the deathof Charles I., Cromwell was the one strong manwho could safely guide the country, and Mar-vell, though no Roundhead, could not butadmire and give him his adherence. It was, however, not Cromwell, but the greatLord Fairfax with whom Marvell first came incontact. Lord Fairfax, who acted as Parliamen-tary General during the Civil War, did notapprove of the King's execution, and refused, onconscientious grounds, to take the commandagainst the Scotch in 1650. He retired to Nun-appleton, his Yorkshire seat, and there Marvellwent as tutor to Lord Fairfax's daughter Mary(afterwards Duchess of Buckingham), then in hertwelfth year. During the two happy years thathe spent at this house Marvell wrote most, ifnot all, of the beautiful poems of the countrywhich form so important a part of his works. INTRODUCTION, xxvii This period of quiet communing with nature,and intercourse with his noble-minded host andhis young pupil, must have greatly influencedthe character of a young man of twenty-nine orthirty. A still more important connection was soon tobe formed. On February 21, 1652-53, JohnMilton, who had perhaps made Marvell'sacquaintance through Lord Fairfax, gave him aletter of introduction to President Bradshaw, inwhich he said, "There will be with you to-morrow, upon some occasion of business, agentleman whose name is Mr. Marvile ; a manwho is, both by report and the converse I havehad with him, of singular desert for the Stateto make use of ; who also offers himself, if therebe any employment for him. His father wasthe minister of Hull ; and he hath spent fouryears abroad, in Holland, France, Italy, andSpain, to very good purpose, as I believe, andthe gaining of those four languages ; besides,he is a scholar, and well read in the Latin andGreek authors ; and no doubt of an approvedconversation, for he comes now lately out of thehouse of Lord Fairfax, who was General, wherehe was intrusted to give some instructions inthe languages to the lady his daughter." And xxviii ANDREW MARVELL. then, after recommending Marvell as wellsuited to be his assistant, Milton continued," This, my Lord, I write sincerely, without anyother end than to perform my duty to thepublic, in helping them to an humble servant,laying aside those jealousies, and that emula-tion, which mine own condition" — hisblindness — " might suggest to me, by bringingin such a coadjutor."
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