Sitting by a Bush in Broad Sunlight
Sitting by a Bush in Broad Sunlight - fact Summary
From a Witness Tree
The poem contrasts ordinary, fleeting sensations with singular, world-changing moments that leave lasting traces. Frost suggests most sunlight felt is insubstantial, but once a "sun-smitten" intake transformed dust into living creatures and continues through breath. He parallels that physical miracle with a divine, once-only revelation—evoked by the image of the veiled bush—arguing that one decisive act can produce enduring effects: natural life persists as breath, religious encounter persists as faith. The tone is contemplative, weighing everyday perception against rare, foundational events that shape existence and belief.
Read Complete AnalysesWhen I spread out my hand here today, I catch no more than a ray To feel of between thumb and fingers; No lasting effect of it lingers. There was one time and only the one When dust really took in the sun; And from that one intake of fire All creatures still warmly suspire. And if men have watched a long time And never seen sun-smitten slime Again come to life and crawl off, We not be too ready to scoff. God once declared he was true And then took the veil and withdrew, And remember how final a hush Then descended of old on the bush. God once spoke to people by name. The sun once imparted its flame. One impulse persists as our breath; The other persists as our faith.
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