Eden

What is Africa to me: Copper sun or scarlet sea, Jungle star or jungle track, Strong bronzed men, or regal black Women from whose loins I sprang When the birds of Eden sang?

—Cullen, Countee

All that bowery loneliness, The brooks of Eden mazily murmuring.

—Tennyson

And Cain went out from the presence of the L, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

—Bible (Old Testament)

The easy Eden-dreamtime then in a country of birds and trees made me your shadow-sister, child, dark girl I couldn't play with.

—McKinney

   When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold, Our father Adamsat under theTree and scratched with a stick in the mould; And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, Till the Devilwhispered behind theleaves,'It'spretty, but is it Art?'

—Kipling, (Joseph) Rudyard

These two Emparadised in one another's arms The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill Of bliss on bliss.

—Milton,John

Some natural tears theydropped, but wiped themsoon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: They hand in hand with wand'ring steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.

—Milton,John

One foot in Eden still, I stand And look across the other land. The world's great day isgrowing late, Yet strange these fields that we have planted So long with crops of love and hate.

—Muir, Edwin

And the L God planted a garden eastwards in Eden; and there he put the manwhom he had formed. And out of the ground made the L God to grow every tree that is pleasant for the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

—Bible (Old Testament)

The media have, indeed, provided the Devil with perhaps the greatest opportunity accorded him since Adam and Eve were turned out of the Garden of Eden.

—Muggeridge, Malcolm

And the L God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LGod commanded the man, saying,Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thoushalt noteat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

—Bible (Old Testament)

And the L God said,Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:Therefore the L God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life.

—Bible (Old Testament)

For the last blossom is the first blossom And the first blossom is the best blossom And when from Eden we take our way The morning after is the first day.

—MacNeice, (Frederick) Louis

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat.

—Milton,John