THE old Chimaeras, old receipts

For making “happy land,”

The old political beliefs

Swam close before my hand.

The grand old communistic myths

In a middle state of grace,

Quite dead, but not yet gone to Hell,

And walking for a space,

Quite dead, and looking it, and yet

All eagerness to show

The Social–Contract forgeries

By Chatterton — Rousseau —

A hundred such as these I tried,

And hundreds after that,

I fitted Social Theories

As one would fit a hat!

Full many a marsh-fire lured me on,

I reached at many a star,

I reache............