Ah, Teneriffe!

Ah, Teneriffe! - meaning Summary

Awe Before Nature's Permanence

The poem presents a direct address to Teneriffe, portraying the mountain as an ancient, immovable presence contrasted with the transient spectacle of sunset. Vivid color imagery—purples, sapphires, red—frames the mountain’s long endurance. Martial and armor metaphors (mail, granite, steel) emphasize its strength and indifference to fleeting pomp or farewells. The speaker’s closing image of kneeling signals humility and reverence before a natural monument that outlasts human spectacle, suggesting awe and a sense of smallness in the face of geological permanence.