The Nearness of the Beloved
The Nearness of the Beloved - meaning Summary
Presence in Ordinary Things
The speaker repeatedly anchors thoughts of a distant beloved in everyday natural and domestic images: sunlight on the sea, moonlight on a stream, dust on a road, roaring waters, and quiet groves. These sensory associations make the beloved feel emotionally present despite physical absence. The poem moves from observation to insistence—"I stay with you"—ending in a direct, wistful wish for the beloved to be near.
Read Complete AnalysesI think of you, when I watch the sunlight glimmer Over the sea: I think of you, when the moonbeams shimmer Over the stream. I see you there, when the dust swirls high On the far road, When the traveller shivers, in deepest night, As it narrows. I hear you, when with a dull roaring The waters rise. Often in silent groves I go walking When all is quiet. I stay with you, however far you are, To me you’re near! The sun sets: soon above me are the stars. Would you were here!
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