"These Things Shall Never Die" by Charles Dickens (1812–1870)

“The pure, the bright, the beautiful​

That stirred our hearts in youth,​

The impulses to wordless prayer,​

The streams of love and truth,​

The longing after something lost,​

The spirit’s yearning cry,​

The striving after better hopes –​

These things can never die.​

The timid hand stretched forth to aid​

A brother in his need;​

A kindly word in grief’s dark hour​

That proves a friend indeed;​

The plea for mercy softly breathed,​

When justice threatens high,​

The sorrow of a contrite heart – ​

These things shall never die.​

Let nothing pass, for every hand​

Must find some work to do,​

Lose not a chance to waken love,​

Be firm and just and true.​

So shall a light that cannot fade​

Beam on thee from on high,​

And angel voices say to thee –​

“These things shall never die.”​

What’s it about?

This poem is a list of the good impulses we all have inside us.

We will always be moved by the same beautiful things that we loved (“that stirred our hearts”) when we were young. We will always be searching (“longing”, “yearning”) for the things we have lost. We will always be working hard (“striving”) for better things. We will always offer (“stretch forth”) a hand to help someone in need. We will always have a kind word for a sad friend. We will always ask for compassion (“plea for mercy”) for those who have done wrong (“when justice threatens high”). We will always feel sorry when we have done wrong ourselves (“the sorrow of a contrite heart”).

The last section tells us that we must take every chance to use these good impulses. We should seek work, love, justice and truth. God and the angels will see our efforts.

The poem reminds us of all the good things that will never die inside us. But why does the poet want, or need, to remind us of this? Because most things do die. Life is full of loss, death, sadness and loneliness. Dickens is telling us that we can always help ourselves, and each other, through the bad times.

Good to know

Charles Dickens is much loved as a novelist and as a campaigner for social reform, but not as a poet. While his novels were packed with entertaining characters and storylines, his poetry can feel rather saccharine and moralistic to us today.