Nature and Mood

Where it surfaces

• I: Strings in the Earth and Air

  The chapter uses natural imagery—strings in the earth and air, willows, river—to create a serene, musical mood.

• II: The Twilight Turns from Amethyst

  The shifting twilight colors and the lamp's glow set a reflective, melancholic mood.

• At That Hour When All Things Have Repose

  The night wind, harps, and the transition from night to sunrise create a mood of repose and anticipation.

• IV: When the Shy Star Goes Forth in Heaven

  The shy star, drowsy even, and dew create a tender, melancholic evening atmosphere.

• VII: My Love Is in a Light Attire

  The apple trees, gay winds, young leaves, and pale blue cup of sky create a joyful, serene mood that mirrors the beloved's grace.

• Who Goes Amid the Green Wood

  The green wood and sunlight mirror the beloved's beauty and the narrator's delight.

• IX: Winds of May, That Dance on the Sea

  The winds of May are personified and used to reflect the narrator's emotional state of longing and melancholy.

• XII: What Counsel Has the Hooded Moon

  The hooded moon and mist set a reflective, romantic mood that contrasts with the narrator's earthly focus.

• XIII: Go Seek Her Out All Courteously

  The wind is personified as a courteous messenger, and the imagery of gardens, seas, and lands reflects the natural world as a conduit for emotion.

• XIV: My Dove, My Beautiful One

  Imagery of night-dew, odorous winds, and the cedar tree creates a moody, natural setting that reflects the speaker's emotional state.

• XV: From Dewy Dreams, My Soul, Arise

  The poem vividly describes the dawn, trees, leaves, and gossamer veils, creating a mood of gentle awakening.

• XVI: O Cool Is the Valley Now

  The cool valley, thrushes singing, and pleasant atmosphere create a serene natural mood.

• XX: In the Dark Pine-Wood

  The dark pine-wood and cool shadow create a mood of seclusion and tranquility, enhancing the romantic atmosphere.

• XXV: Lightly Come or Lightly Go

  Imagery of vales, wasted sun, mountain air, clouds, and evenstar creates a natural backdrop that mirrors and lightens emotional heaviness.

• XXVI: Thou Leanest to the Shell of Night

  The shell of night and rivers rushing from grey deserts evoke natural imagery that mirrors the lady's fearful mood.

• XXXI: O, It Was Out by Donnycarney

  The bat flying from tree to tree and the murmuring summer wind create a serene, romantic atmosphere that mirrors the lovers' emotions.

• XXXIII: Now, O Now, in This Brown Land

  The brown land, wind, and falling leaves mirror the melancholic yet peaceful mood of parting.

• Sleep Now, O Sleep Now

  Winter's voice at the door sets a somber, cold mood that mirrors the heart's unrest and the call to sleep.

• All Day I Hear the Noise of Waters

  The noise of waters and grey winds create a melancholic, lonely atmosphere.

• XXXVI: I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land

  The imagery of horses, sea, and shore creates a tumultuous mood that mirrors the narrator's inner turmoil.

• Tilly

  The cold red road, winter sun, and black stream create a bleak, melancholic mood.

• Watching the Needleboats at San Sabba

  The prairie grasses sighing and the wild wind passing mirror the melancholy mood of the speaker.

• She Weeps Over Rahoon

  Rain, moonrise, and nettles mirror the sorrow and coldness of grief.

• On the Beach at Fontana

  The whining wind, groaning pierstakes, and senile sea create a mood of desolation and fear.

• Simples

  The moonlit garden, dew, and radiance create a serene, almost magical mood that contrasts with the speaker's guarded response.

• Flood

  The flood, rockvine, and brooding sea evoke a sullen, ruthless natural mood.

• Nightpiece

  The nightscape is personified with gaunt gloom, pale stars, and moonless gloom, setting a somber, eerie mood.

• Alone

  The moonlit lake, reeds, and laburnum tendrils create a sensual, nocturnal mood that mirrors the speaker's emotional state.