By ceaseless action, all that is subsists.
Constant rotation of the unwearied wheel
That Nature rides upon, maintains her health,
Her beauty, her fertility.
The narrator uses this quotation as a sort of dedication to the remarkable power that is Planet Earth. He suggests that all else must pale in comparison to nature’s beauty and the miracle of its existence. He compares the planet to an unwearied wheel, in that the Earth is constantly spinning and rotating; no force of human or nature can stop it. The narrator views Nature as being separate from the planet, itself, and suggests that the spinning and rotations of Planet Earth give life to Nature. In this way, our planet is viewed as the mother and cultivator of the natural world that the narrator views in such high regard.
Measure life
By its true worth, the comforts it affords […]
The narrator uses this quotation to reflect upon the meaning and value of life. He suggests that humanity should measure the quality of one’s life by its true worth. This worth, the narrator concludes, includes the comforts of life. These comforts likely refer to the most basic human necessities—food, shelter, water, marriage, and children. In this way, the narrator suggests that life’s worth can be measured by our accomplishments and our relationships with both the humans and the nature around us.
The earth was made so various, that the mind
Of desultory man, studious of change,
And pleased with novelty, might be indulged.
In this quotation, the narrator pays homage to the vastness and powerful beauty of the Earth. He explains that our planet is so vast, various, and boundless that humanity could never hope to explore all of it. He suggests that Earth, in its infinite vastness, provides a unique exploratory opportunity for intellectuals who want to exercise their intellectual prowess. The narrator explains that human brains, which like intellectual exercises, can be forever intrigued and captured by the extent of Earth’s mysteries. In this way, the narrator is once again paying respect to the power of the natural world.
Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness,
Some boundless contiguity of shade,
Where rumour of oppression and deceit,
Of unsuccessful or successful war,
Might never reach me more!
In this quotation, the narrator reflects upon what life might be like if he owned a lodge or cottage, buried deep within the woods. The narrator believes that such a cottage would conceal him from the worries and tribulations of humanity. He suggests that humanity is filled with deceit and negativity, which is why he longs so deeply for the solace of nature. In this quotation, the narrator once again demonstrates his deep respect in and longing for nature. He also uses this quotation to characterize humanity as bleak and soulless.
