Ah, do it, do it, and rejoice;
But shalt thou then, when all is done,
Enjoy a love, embrace a beauty
Like these, that may be seen and won
In life, whose course will then be run;
Or wilt thou be where there is none?
I know not, I will do my duty." - Meaning and context.">
The Questioning Spirit, st. 2 (1847).
“

Thy duty do? rejoined the voice,
Ah, do it, do it, and rejoice;
But shalt thou then, when all is done,
Enjoy a love, embrace a beauty
Like these, that may be seen and won
In life, whose course will then be run;
Or wilt thou be where there is none?
I know not, I will do my duty.

— Arthur Hugh Clough

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Thy duty do? rejoined the voice,
Ah, do it, do it, and rejoice;
But shalt thou then, when all is done,
Enjoy a love, embrace a beauty
Like these, that may be seen and won
In life, whose course will then be run;
Or wilt thou be where there is none?
I know not, I will do my duty." in the context of "The Questioning Spirit, st. 2 (1847)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Arthur Hugh Clough" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Arthur Hugh Clough

About Arthur Hugh Clough

Arthur Hugh Clough (January 1, 1819 – November 13, 1861) was an English poet, and the brother of Anne Clough.