A slumber did my spirit seal; I had no human fears: She seemed a thing that could not feel The touch of earthly years. No motion has she now, no force; She neither hears nor sees; Rolled round in earth's diurnal course, With rocks, and stones, and trees.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker reflects on the death of a loved one, realizing she now exists only as part of the earth's motion.
- In plain terms
- The speaker realizes the dead person now moves only with rocks and trees.
- What can you take from it?
- Death joins us to the quiet, steady motion of the earth.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What comfort do you find in nature about death?
- How do you imagine life after death?
Another view
This view may comfort some but not those seeking continued personal existence.
More from William Wordsworth
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