The youth, who daily farther from the east Must travel, still is Nature's priest, And by the vision splendid Is on his way attended; At length the man perceives it die away, And fade into the light of common day.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Youth maintains a special connection to nature that fades into ordinary adulthood.
- In plain terms
- Young people see nature's magic, but adults eventually see only the everyday.
- What can you take from it?
- Expect the special vision of youth to fade into routine as you age.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When did you lose your childlike view of the world?
- Can you reclaim that vision?
Another view
It implies adulthood cannot hold any wonder.
More from William Wordsworth
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar: Not in entire fo…
Permalink to quote #166 As if his whole vocation Were endless imitation.
Permalink to quote #168 Whither is fled the visionary gleam? Where is it now, the glory and the dream?
Permalink to quote #165
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