Ode Written On The First Of January by Robert Southey
Come melancholy Moralizer—come! Gather with me the dark and wintry wreath; With me engarland now The SEPULCHRE OF TIME!
Come Moralizer to the funeral song! I pour the dirge of the Departed Days, For well the funeral song Befits this solemn hour.
But hark! even now the merry bells ring round With clamorous joy to welcome in this day, This consecrated day, To Mirth and Indolence.
Mortal! whilst Fortune with benignant hand Fills to the brim thy cup of happiness, Whilst her unclouded sun Illumes thy summer day,
Canst thou rejoice—rejoice that Time flies fast? That Night shall shadow soon thy summer sun? That swift the stream of Years Rolls to Eternity?
If thou hast wealth to gratify each wish, If Power be thine, remember what thou art— Remember thou art Man, And Death thine heritage!
Hast thou known Love? does Beauty's better sun Cheer thy fond heart with no capricious smile, Her eye all eloquence, Her voice all harmony?
Oh state of happiness! hark how the gale Moans deep and hollow o'er the leafless grove! Winter is dark and cold— Where now the charms of Spring?
Sayst thou that Fancy paints the future scene In hues too sombrous? that the dark-stol'd Maid With stern and frowning front Appals the shuddering soul?
And would'st thou bid me court her faery form When, as she sports her in some happier mood, Her many-colour'd robes Dance varying to the Sun?
Ah vainly does the Pilgrim, whose long road Leads o'er the barren mountain's storm-vext height, With anxious gaze survey The fruitful far-off vale.
Oh there are those who love the pensive song To whom all sounds of Mirth are dissonant! There are who at this hour Will love to contemplate!
For hopeless Sorrow hails the lapse of Time, Rejoicing when the fading orb of day Is sunk again in night, That one day more is gone.
And he who bears Affliction's heavy load With patient piety, well pleas'd he knows The World a pilgrimage, The Grave the inn of rest.
Last day of the year, Today,31st December, dear, I hope you all on this very day, Stay and enjoy without fear. Live a life of human being With compassion, forgive And forget all for any action. Live a life with nectar, my dear, And see, everyone as your Near and dear and keep all Together, treat them as One family members, all love, All peace be with you During the whole next new year.
Black glove at my neck- the end of the year. Those lovers were soldiers, bed spies, bombs of leg losing, the mind dropping in one blow.
Masters of bullets, sacred sabotage, reasons why I listened to the radio blaring the sweet song of someone else's bad news.
Voices of valleys in the distance, sinking at the notice of runaway trains, the apocalypse-what little we know of it, the quiet contemplation of last night's champagne.
I search for any light in the flickering distance, as the sound of the unknown approaches.
To infantilize means to treat someone as if they are a child—by underestimating their abilities, denying them autonomy, or speaking to them in a patronising manner—regardless of their actual age or competence.
📘 Definitions
Infantilization is the prolonged treatment of someone as if they are much younger than they really are
treat (someone) as a child or in a way which denies their maturity in age or experience.
to treat someone as if that person were a child, with the result that they start behaving like one:
✍️ Example Sentence
“It’s important not to infantilize adults by making decisions for them without their input.”
“my generation grew up in a time when women were infantilized and treated as property”
Origin and History
The wordinfantilizecomes from the Latininfans(child) and the suffix-ize, meaning “to make into,” essentially meaning “to make childlike” or “to treat as an infant”. First appearing in English in the 1930s, it’s formed from the adjective infantile (dating to the 17th century) and describes making someone immature or dependent, often used in social or psychological contexts.
🌱 Why We Love This Word
Infantilize is a powerful word because it highlights an often-overlooked behaviour that can affect confidence, dignity, and independence. Understanding this word helps us become more aware of how language and actions can unintentionally diminish others, encouraging more respectful and empowering communication.
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