Ah God! to see the branches stir Across the moon at…
““Ah God! to see the branches stir Across the moon at Grantchester! To smell the thrilling-sweet and rotten Unforgettable, unforgotten River-smell, and hear the breeze Sobbing in the little trees. Say, do the elm-clumps greatly stand Still guardians of that holy land? The chestnuts shade, in reverend dream, The yet unacademic stream Is dawn a secret shy and cold Anadyomene, silver-gold? And sunset still a golden sea From Haslingfield to Madingley? And after, ere the night is born, Do hares come out about the corn? Oh, is the water sweet and cool, Gentle and brown, above the pool? And laughs the immortal river still Under the mill, under the mill? Say, is there Beauty yet to find? And Certainty? and Quiet kind? Deep meadows yet, for to forget The lies, and truths, and pain?… oh! yet Stands the Church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A lyrical meditation on nature’s beauty, transience, and the search for meaning amid everyday scenes.
In simple terms: Nature’s fleeting beauty and yearning for certainty.
Key Takeaway
Cherish moments, seek wonder.
Themes
nature
beauty
transience
spirituality
reflection
Mood
wistanch
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- walking in countryside
- watching sunrise
- contemplating mortality
- appreciating simple pleasures
Key Concepts
romanticism
existential longing
sensory imagery
Questions to Reflect On
- What does beauty mean to you?
- How do you find certainty in change?
A Different Perspective
The poem ideal idealizes nature, overlooking ecological change and human suffering.