Thursday, January 22, 2009

epitath on a year lost forever


{Source: Project Gutenberg}
This is Byron's Epitaph on the expiration of his 33rd year of life. He wrote it in his journal on this, his birthday, not much less than two centuries ago. On the subject of growing older, he had previously written:
It was one of the deadliest and heaviest feelings of my life to feel that I was no longer a boy. From that moment I began to grow old in my own esteem?and in my esteem age is not estimable.
("Detached Thoughts," no. 72)

I shall soon be six-and-twenty. Is there anything in the future that can possibly console us for not being always twenty-five? (Journal entry for 1 Dec. 1813)

My time has been passed viciously and agreeably; at thirty-one so few years months days hours or minutes remain that "Carpe Diem" is not enough. I have been obliged to crop even the seconds--for who can trust to tomorrow? ( 20 Aug. 1819)

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