I Had the Glory That Will Do
poem 349
time
loss
lyric poem
austere
I had the Glory that will do An Honor, Thought can turn her to When lesser Fames invite With one long Nay Bliss’ early shape Deforming Dwindling Gulfing up Time’s possibility.
I Had the Glory That Will Do - meaning Summary
Choosing Lasting Honor
The speaker claims she possessed a sufficient "Glory"—an inward honor that thought can transform—so she declines lesser, seductive fame. By saying a single, decisive "Nay," she rejects outward recognition. The poem contrasts an early, idealized bliss with the way time deforms and diminishes possibilities, implying that rejecting transient acclaim preserves a different, inward integrity even as temporal forces erode initial promise.
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