Four Quartets

by T.S. Eliot

Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable.

Like a small acorn, its destiny is contained in one small artifact, marked by its begining

Time and the bell have buried the day,

Do not let me hear Of the wisdom of old men, but rather of their folly, Their fear of fear and frenzy, their fear of possession, Of belonging to another, or to others, or to God. The only wisdom we can hope to acquire Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.

O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark,

The sea has many voices, Many gods and many voices.

Having hoped for the wrong things or dreaded the wrong things,

Not fare well, But fare forward, voyagers.

or music heard so deeply That it is not heard at all, but you are the music While the music lasts.

And what you thought you came for Is only a shell, a husk of meaning From which the purpose breaks only when it is fulfilled

Either you had no purpose Or the purpose is beyond the end you figured And is altered in fulfilment.

You are not here to verify, Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity Or carry report. You are here to kneel

The only hope, or else despair Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre— To be redeemed from fire by fire.

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring 240 Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.