Poetry · Chapter
Longing: Away from the City’s Herds! explained
The speaker expresses a deep yearning to escape the oppressive, noisy, and hateful city for the peace and beauty of a natural, seaside setting, where they can be alone with their beloved under God's sunshine.
What happens
The speaker expresses a deep yearning to escape the oppressive, noisy, and hateful city for the peace and beauty of a natural, seaside setting, where they can be alone with their beloved under God's sunshine.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the speaker tu…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Nature as Divine Revelation
The natural seaside scene is described as a place of divine sunshine and peace, contrasting with the city's gloom.
- Love as Ultimate Strength
The speaker's desire to be with their love is central to the vision of escape and fulfillment.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Away from the city’s herds! Away from the noisy street! Away from the storm of words, Where hateful and hating meet!”
Let me escape the crowded, loud city where people argue and hate each other.
The speaker rejects urban conflict and clamor.
“Over some shining shore, There hangeth a space of blue; A parting ’mid thin clouds hoar Where the sunlight is falling through.”
Above a bright beach, there is a patch of blue sky breaking through the thin, pale clouds where sunlight streams down.
Imagery of hope and natural beauty breaking through gloom.
“Oh to be there with thee! Thou and I only, my love! The sparkling, sands and the sea! And the sunshine of God above!”
I long to be there with you, just the two of us, my love, enjoying the sparkling sand and sea under God's sunshine.
The ultimate desire is union with the beloved in a divine natural setting.
