Can we talk?

A Little Wordsworth

I'm trying to quote from memory:

What, though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass and glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind,
In the primal sympathy
Which having been, must ever be,
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering,
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.

Someone could check and find my punctuation in error, but the wording feels close.
I've always been fond of those lines.

There's two ways to look at them. One is probably Wordsworth's point of view. He felt less inspired in his later years and was nostalgic for his youthful passions and talent. He offers up encouragement to refrain from bitterness over what is lost and to accept the present condition, to find peace and contentment, and to have no fear of old age or death.  For those of us who have or who will experience the dwindling of health, strength or vitality, this is good advice. There's no benefit in depression, anxiety, or chasing after youth.

On the other hand, it doesn't have to signal the end of productivity or creativity. That "human suffering" can be our undoing, or it can be what sharpens our wit and insight and builds our inner strength. Instead of lying back on a couch and waxing philosophically, we can use our "philosophic minds" to change the world or at least a small piece of it.

I had a college professor once, probably in her late thirties, tell my class of 19 and 20 year-olds that middle age is like autumn. It is that time when nature pours forth its most splendid and wondrous beauty before the winter comes. That thought appealed to me then, as it does now. I know it's not true for every individual, but I want to believe it's possible for anyone who wants to keep reaching new heights. Physical handicaps and sluggish memory don't have to stop passion, productivity, creativity, charity, or artistry. Life can always get better in some way.