I wept, 'Tho' I should die, I know That all about the thorn will blow In tufts of rosy-tinted snow; 'And men, thro' novel spheres of thought Still moving after truth long sought, Will learn new things when I am not.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker accepts death with hope, believing nature will continue to flourish and humanity will keep seeking truth even after they are gone.
- In plain terms
- Death is not an end; the world keeps growing and people keep learning.
- What can you take from it?
- Trust in the continuity of nature and human progress beyond your own life.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What legacy do you want to leave?
- How do you face the end?
Another view
This view assumes progress is inevitable, which history sometimes contradicts.
More from Alfred (Lord) Tennyson
I said, 'The years with change advance: If I make dark my countenance, I shut my life from happier chance.
Permalink to quote #53 'Do men love thee? Art thou so bound To men, that how thy name may sound Will vex thee lying underground? 'The memory of the wither'd leaf In endless time is s…
Permalink to quote #55 'Self-blinded are you by your pride: Look up thro' night: the world is wide. 'This truth within thy mind rehearse, That in a boundless universe Is boundless be…
Permalink to quote #52
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