I see in many an eye that measures me, the moral / mortal sickness of the mind - too unhappy to be kind.?

Question

Wich word, moral / mortal - fits.? I read this quote years ago in a hospitals nursing office. I wrote it in a notebook but just wrote 'mor' as I was in a hurry. What does it really mean?

Answer 1

Apparently it is found in a poem from Housman (haven't tracked down the name of the poem) but did find it quoted on a web site as:

I see

In many an eye that measures me

The mortal sickness of a mind

Too unhappy to be kind.

Undone with misery, all they can

Is to hate their fellow man;

And till they drop they needs must still

Look at you and wish you ill.

  It seems to me to mean that folks who are unhappy cannot be kind to their fellow man and, in fact, are generally mean and nasty to others.  Very true it seems to me.

  Seems to be from "A Shropshire Lad" and is found in XLI, second stanza.

  PS:  Why did you copy it down?