In the deserts of the heart

"In the deserts of the heart / Let the healing fountain start."

— Auden, W. H. (1907-1973)

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Author

Auden, W. H. (1907-1973)

Work Title

In Memory of W. B. Yeats [from Another Time]

Place of Publication

New York

Publisher

Random House

Date

1940

Metaphor

"In the deserts of the heart / Let the healing fountain start."

Metaphor in Context

Follow, poet, follow right
To the bottom of the night,
With your unconstraining voice
Still persuade us to rejoice;

With the farming of a verse
Make a vineyard of the curse,
Sing of human unsuccess
In a rapture of distress;

In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountain start,
In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise.
(ll. 54-65)

Categories

Geography::Desert Liquid::Fountain

Provenance

Reading

Citation

W. H. Auden, Another Time (New York: Random House, 1940). <Link to Poets.org>

Date of Entry

05/19/2011

copied from this site: http://metaphors.iath.virginia.edu/metaphors/18429

God Is My Great Desire

1 God is my great desire,
his face I seek the first;
to him my heart and soul aspire,
for him I thirst.
As one in desert lands,
whose very flesh is flame,
in burning love I lift my hands
and bless his name.

2 God is my true delight,
my richest feast his praise,
through silent watches of the night,
through all my days.
To him my spirit clings,
on him my soul is cast;
beneath the shadow of his wings
he holds me fast.

3 God is my strong defense
in every evil hour;
in him I face with confidence
the tempter's power.
I trust his mercy sure
with truth and triumph crowned:
my hope and joy forevermore
in him are found.


Source: Renew! #109

~ Timothy Dudley-Smith

The above was taken from hymnary.org.

This site is great for full texts and information regarding hymns.
http://www.hymnary.org/text/god_is_my_great_desire