O'er folded blooms On swirls of musk, The beetle booms adown the glooms And bumps along the dusk.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A beetle moves through dark, fragrant flowers at dusk, making noise as it travels.
- In plain terms
- A bug walks through smelly flowers in the dark evening.
- What can you take from it?
- Nature continues its small, noisy work even in the gloom.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you hear nature at night?
- What small things move in the dark?
Another view
The image is very specific and may not resonate without context.
More from James Whitcomb Riley
The ripest peach is highest on the tree.
Permalink to quote #1 One naked star has waded through The purple shadows of the night, And faltering as falls the dew It drips its misty light.
Permalink to quote #3 An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you don't watch out.
Permalink to quote #4
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