Blithe spirit to have looked so clearly and

Blithe spirit to have looked so clearly and
proudly into time, nature, the cosmos,
to have seen what the average eye sees
is far baser and less true than what your

noble mind conceives. Look up still higher
to an eternal vision whose splendor
is glimpsed in your lovely poetry, and
you will see the noble destiny you've

laid claim to. Then you will not feel weary
or unable to make ancient seeds sprout,
flower, and bear immortal fruit the sou
l at last turns to. Let the church's fathers
give you the staff, Father, Minister, Guide
Captain--of the scattered diminished flock

An image of the Italian text from Visconti's 1840 edition
Notes:
From V CCIII:363. See also B S1:135:152; no MSs; Valgrisi 136. Translation: Jerrold 99. A third to Pietro Bembo; he thanked her in a letter dated March 15, 1539 April 4, 1539. Key

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