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Invitation to Eternity Say, wilt thou go with me, sweet…

“Invitation to Eternity Say, wilt thou go with me, sweet maid, Say, maiden, wilt thou go with me Through the valley-depths of shade, Of bright and dark obscurity; Where the path has lost its way, Where the sun forgets the day, Where there's nor light nor life to see, Sweet maiden, wilt thou go with…” quote by John Clare
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““ Invitation to Eternity Say, wilt thou go with me, sweet maid, Say, maiden, wilt thou go with me Through the valley-depths of shade, Of bright and dark obscurity; Where the path has lost its way, Where the sun forgets the day, Where there's nor light nor life to see, Sweet maiden, wilt thou go with me? Where stones will turn to flooding streams, Where plains will rise like ocean's waves, Where life will fade like visioned dreams And darkness darken into caves, Say, maiden, wilt thou go with me Through this sad non-identity Where parents live and are forgot, And sisters live and know us not? Say, maiden, wilt thou go with me In this strange death of life to be, To live in death and be the same, Without this life or home or name, At once to be and not to be— That was and is not—yet to see Things pass like shadows, and the sky Above, below, around us lie? The land of shadows wilt thou trace, Nor look nor know each other's face; The present marred with reason gone, And past and present both as one? Say, maiden, can thy life be led To join the living and the dead? Then trace thy footsteps on with me: We are wed to one eternity.””

John Clare

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The poem invites a beloved to join a journey through unknown, shadowy realms, blurring life and death.

In simple terms: Invitation to explore mysterious, eternal unknown together.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the mystery of existence.

Themes

mortality love eternity journey identity death life existence

Mood

melancholic enigmatic

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • creative writing
  • philosophical contemplation
  • spiritual rituals
  • artistic expression
  • literary analysis

Key Concepts

existentialism romanticism transcendence

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does eternity mean to you?
  • How do you confront the unknown?
A Different Perspective

The abstract language may alienate readers seeking concrete meaning.

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