| Rupert Brooke (1887–1915). Collected Poems. 1916. |
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| I. 1905–1908 |
| 4. In Examination |
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| LO! from quiet skies | |
| In through the window my Lord the Sun! | |
| And my eyes | |
| Were dazzled and drunk with the misty gold, | |
| The golden glory that drowned and crowned me | 5 |
| Eddied and swayed through the room… | |
| Around me, | |
| To left and to right, | |
| Hunched figures and old, | |
| Dull blear-eyed scribbling fools, grew fair, | 10 |
| Ringed round and haloed with holy light. | |
| Flame lit on their hair, | |
| And their burning eyes grew young and wise, | |
| Each as a God, or King of kings, | |
| White-robed and bright | 15 |
| (Still scribbling all); | |
| And a full tumultuous murmur of wings | |
| Grew through the hall; | |
| And I knew the white undying Fire, | |
| And, through open portals, | 20 |
| Gyre on gyre, | |
| Archangels and angels, adoring, bowing, | |
| And a Face unshaded… | |
| Till the light faded; | |
| And they were but fools again, fools unknowing, | 25 |
| Still scribbling, blear-eyed and stolid immortals. | |
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