First Known When Lost: "To Fling His Soul Upon The Growing Gloom"

First Known When Lost: "To Fling His Soul Upon The Growing Gloom"
Excerpt:
As I have observed on more than one occasion, each generation believes that it is living in a time in which the world is going to Hell in a handbasket. (The Baby Boom Generation -- of which, alas, I am a member -- is particularly prone to self-regarding, self-aggrandizing delusions about its historical uniqueness and importance.) Thus, some may look upon the coming year with a bit of trepidation. I respectfully suggest that, in order to gain some perspective, they have a gander at, say, Herodotus.
[My note: 'Uniqueness' may mean 'infamous'! I am not proud of the inroads of anti-Christian, anti-freedom of the individual, and communism's tyranny in our 'free' (once upon a time and long ago...sigh) country.]
.....
The Darkling Thrush

I leant upon a coppice gate
When Frost was spectre-gray,
And Winter's dregs made desolate
The weakening eye of day.
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
Like strings of broken lyres,
And all mankind that haunted nigh
Had sought their household fires.

The land's sharp features seemed to be..............~[Hardy]