{
 "id": "matthew-arnold/progress",
 "title": "Progress",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Matthew Arnold",
 "poet_slug": "matthew-arnold",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Empedocles on Etna, and Other Poems",
 "book_slug": "empedocles-on-etna",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 19,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1852,
  "venue": "Empedocles on Etna, and Other Poems (1852)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/empedoclesonetna00arno"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/matthew-arnold_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27739",
   "https://archive.org/details/poemsofmatthewar00arnouoft",
   "https://archive.org/details/poeticalworksofm00arn",
   "https://archive.org/details/inmemoriamawrea00marsgoog"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-12"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 48,
  "n_stanzas": 12,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 54,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The Master stood upon the mount, and taught.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He saw a fire in his disciples’ eyes;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“The old law,” they cried, “is wholly come to naught!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Behold the new world rise!”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Was it,” the Lord then said, “with scorn ye saw",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The old law observed by Scribes and Pharisees?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I say unto you, see ye keep that law",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "More faithfully than these!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Too hasty heads for ordering worlds, alas!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Think not that I to annul the law have will’d;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "No jot, no tittle from the law shall pass,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Till all hath been fulfill’d.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So Christ said eighteen hundred years ago.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And what then shall be said to those to-day,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who cry aloud to lay the old world low",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To clear the new world’s way?",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Religious fervours! ardour misapplied!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Hence, hence,” they cry, “ye do but keep man blind!",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But keep him self-immersed, preoccupied,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And lame the active mind.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Ah! from the old world let some one answer give:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Scorn ye this world, their tears, their inward cares?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I say unto you, see that your souls live",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A deeper life than theirs.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Say ye: The spirit of man has found new roads,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And we must leave the old faiths, and walk therein?⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Leave then the Cross as ye have left carved gods,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But guard the fire within!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Bright, else, and fast the stream of life may roll,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And no man may the other’s hurt behold;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet each will have one anguish⁠—his own soul",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which perishes of cold.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Here let that voice make end! then let a strain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From a far lonelier distance, like the wind",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Be heard, floating through heaven, and fill again",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "These men’s profoundest mind:",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Children of men! the unseen Power, whose eye",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For ever doth accompany mankind,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Hath look’d on no religion scornfully",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That men did ever find.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Which has not taught weak wills how much they can,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which has not fall’n on the dry heart like rain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which has not cried to sunk, self-weary man:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Thou must be born again!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Children of men! not that your age excel",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In pride of life the ages of your sires,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But that you think clear, feel deep, bear fruit well,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Friend of man desires.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}