Still stand the downs so wise and wide?
Still shake the trees their tresses grey?
I thought their beauty might have died
Since I had been away.
I might have known the things I love,
The winds, the flocking birds’ full cry,
The trees that toss, the downs that move,
Were longer things than I.
Lo, earth that bows before the wind,
With wild green children overgrown,
And all her bosoms, many-whinned,
Receive me as their own.
The birds are hushed and fled: the cows
Have ceased at last to make long moan.
They only think to browse and browse
Until the night is grown.
The wind is stiller than it was,
And dumbness holds the closing day.
The earth says not a word, because
It has no word to say.
The dear soft grasses under foot
Are silent to the listening ear.
Yet beauty never can be mute,
And some will always hear.
We are busy working to bring Charles Sorley's "Return" to life through our unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you soon.
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This creative journey takes time—each composition represents hours of dedicated work to create something that deepens our connection to Charles Sorley's words in meaningful ways.
While you wait for our complete interpretation, we invite you to explore other musical arrangements in our gallery or learn more about Charles Sorley's life and contributions to literature.
Check back soon to experience how "Return" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.