“Written in Early Spring” by William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

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  I HEARD a thousand blended notes   While in a grove I sate reclined,  In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts  Bring sad thoughts to the mind.  To her fair works did Nature link  The human soul that through me ran;  And much it grieved my heart to think  What Man has made of Man.  Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,  The periwinkle trail’d its wreaths;  And ’tis my faith that every flower  Enjoys the air it breathes.  The birds around me hopp’d and play’d,  Their thoughts I cannot measure,—  But the least motion which they made  It seem’d a thrill of pleasure.  The budding twigs spread out their fan  To catch the breezy air;  And I must think, do all I can,  That there was pleasure there.  If this belief from heaven be sent,  If such be Nature’s holy plan,  Have I not reason to lament  What Man has made of Man?

Happy Canada Day!

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The road to Canadian independence from England began on July 1, 1867, when Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada were united into a single country as the result of the Constitution Act. The goal of total independence took nearly a century to achieve because many Canadians considered themselves British. The first official celebration of independence was recorded in 1917 and the government instituted July 1 as a holiday in 1958. It is common (Canadian) knowledge that the country overall celebrated its independence all together for the first time in 1967, at the 100th anniversary of the Constitution Act. This year, Canadians enjoy a three day weekend!

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