--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For I dipt into the future, far as human…" description: "\"For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; Saw the heavens fill with commer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png" --- # For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see… ![“For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; Saw the heavens fill with commerce, Argosies of magic sails, Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales; Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd…” quote by Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png) > “For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; Saw the heavens fill with commerce, Argosies of magic sails, Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales; Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew, From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue.” [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A visionary future filled with commerce, exploration, and conflict, imagined through poetic imagery of seas and skies. **In simple terms:** A future of trade and adventure, with both wonder and war. Key Takeaway Embrace both opportunity and risk in progress. Themes future commerce exploration conflict poetry Mood hopeful dramatic Type poetic prophetic When to use this quote - colonial expansion - global trade - technological advancement - military strategy Key Concepts visionary imperial ambition economic growth Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities accompany expansion? - How to balance wonder with ethical concerns? A Different Perspective Idealized visions may overlook human cost. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation/) [Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blue/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Commerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commerce/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navy/) [Pilots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilots/) [Predictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predictions/) [Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rain/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Twilight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twilight/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [For I dipped into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/for-i-dipped-into-the-future-far-as-human-eye-could-see-saw-the/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human-eye-could-see-saw-the-vision/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In an age of hope men looked up at the night sky and saw “the heavens." In an age of hopelessness they call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/in-an-age-of-hope-men-looked-up-at-the-night-sky-and-saw-the-heavens/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“Simply admit that the future is far less knowable than you think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/simply-admit-that-the-future-is-far-less-knowable-than-you-think/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [What kind of hard SF do I write? Everything from near-future, Earth-centric techno-thrillers to far-future, far-flung interstellar epics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/what-kind-of-hard-sf-do-i-write-everything-from-near-future-earth/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [As we look into the future, it's as far as we can see. So let's make each tomorrow be the best that it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/as-we-look-into-the-future-it-s-as-far-as-we-can-see-so-let-s-make/) [George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/) > [Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/even-though-the-future-seems-far-away-it-is-actually-beginning-right/) [Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/) > [Our thoughts about the future go far toward creating it; our minds and hears are like filaments taht connect today to tomorrow, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/our-thoughts-about-the-future-go-far-toward-creating-it-our-minds-and/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [When we are all together, we will have a future that is far greater than whatever we could do separate from one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-hodges/when-we-are-all-together-we-will-have-a-future-that-is-far-greater/) [Betsy Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-hodges/) > [ \[Buckminster Fuller\] started talking about it far enough afterwards, an audience that was far enough from when they - when the air flow and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-keats/buckminster-fuller-started-talking-about-it-far-enough-afterwards-an/) [Jonathon Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-keats/) > [The real leaders of tomorrow are already working on the next big idea, the one that will drive growth into future. They're already far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-enrico/the-real-leaders-of-tomorrow-are-already-working-on-the-next-big-idea/) [Roger Enrico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-enrico/) > [For me, the distant future and far-off galaxies is where it's at. That's where my imagination can really come out to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/for-me-the-distant-future-and-far-off-galaxies-is-where-it-s-at-that/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Believing as I do that man in the distant future will be a far more perfect creature than he now is, it is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/believing-as-i-do-that-man-in-the-distant-future-will-be-a-far-more/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“If we could see the fullness of our tomorrows, how many of us would take desperate action to change the future? What if our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kent/if-we-could-see-the-fullness-of-our-tomorrows-how-many-of-us-would/) [Kathleen Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kent/) > [Put up a smile on your face and let the world wonder why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-up-a-smile-on-your-face-and-let-the-world-wonder-why/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Alfred the Great > [When the Sun Clearest shineth Serenest in the heaven, Quickly are obscured All over the earth Other stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/when-the-sun-clearest-shineth-serenest-in-the-heaven-quickly-are/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [The greater the man the greater the courtesy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/the-greater-the-man-the-greater-the-courtesy/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Food over flame burns, food over heat cooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/food-over-flame-burns-food-over-heat-cooks/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Science moves, but slowly, slowly, creeping on from point to point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/science-moves-but-slowly-slowly-creeping-on-from-point-to-point/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [All the youth now in England of free men, who are rich enough to be able to devote themselves to it, be set to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/all-the-youth-now-in-england-of-free-men-who-are-rich-enough-to-be/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [It becomes no man to nurse despair, but, in the teeth of clenched antagonisms, to follow up the worthiest till he die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/it-becomes-no-man-to-nurse-despair-but-in-the-teeth-of-clenched/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Doom very evenly! Do not doom one doom to the rich; another to the poor! Nor doom one doom to your friend; another to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/doom-very-evenly-do-not-doom-one-doom-to-the-rich-another-to-the-poor/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [A life that moves to gracious ends Thro' troops of unrecording friends, A deedful life, a silent voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/a-life-that-moves-to-gracious-ends-thro-troops-of-unrecording-friends/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [...For the unquiet heart and brain, A use in measured language lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/for-the-unquiet-heart-and-brain-a-use-in-measured-language-lies/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [ Time \[is\] flowing in the middle of the night. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/time-is-flowing-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Ah, what shall I be at fifty, should nature keep me alive, if I find the world so bitter when I am but twenty-five?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ah-what-shall-i-be-at-fifty-should-nature-keep-me-alive-if-i-find-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [One God, one law, one element, And one far-off divine event, To which the whole creation moves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/one-god-one-law-one-element-and-one-far-off-divine-event-to-which-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Ah, why should life all labor be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ah-why-should-life-all-labor-be/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [The vow that binds too quickly snaps itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/the-vow-that-binds-too-quickly-snaps-itself/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) [Explore all 25 Alfred the Great quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) ## More Airy quotes > [Imagination helps you to recognize the reality of facts, but then to go beyond them, to penetrate beneath them, to rise above them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/imagination-helps-you-to-recognize-the-reality-of-facts-but-then-to/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [When you drop your unnecessary things, you finally can swoop and fly in vast space. It is so blue, so bright, and so nice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/when-you-drop-your-unnecessary-things-you-finally-can-swoop-and-fly/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [This rough magic I here abjure and when I have required some heavenly music, which even now I do, to work mine end upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/this-rough-magic-i-here-abjure-and-when-i-have-required-some-heavenly/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [My family dumplings are sleek and seductive, yet stout and masculine. They taste of meat, yet of flour. They are wet, yet they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-p-t-coffin/my-family-dumplings-are-sleek-and-seductive-yet-stout-and-masculine/) Robert P. T. Coffin > [When I feel the joy of receiving a gift my heart nudges me to join creation's ballet, the airy dance of giving and receiving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/when-i-feel-the-joy-of-receiving-a-gift-my-heart-nudges-me-to-join/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [“ Autumn Days Yellow, mellow, ripened days, Sheltered in a golden coating; O'er the dreamy, listless haze, White and dainty cloudlets floating; Winking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-carleton/autumn-days-yellow-mellow-ripened-days-sheltered-in-a-golden-coating/) [Will Carleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-carleton/) > [But housekeeping is fun. It is one job where you enjoy the results right along as you work. You may work all day washing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-taber/but-housekeeping-is-fun-it-is-one-job-where-you-enjoy-the-results/) [Gladys Taber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-taber/) > [Sorrow itself is not so hard to bear As the thought of sorrow coming. Airy ghosts, That work no harm, do terrify us more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bailey-aldrich/sorrow-itself-is-not-so-hard-to-bear-as-the-thought-of-sorrow-coming/) [Thomas Bailey Aldrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bailey-aldrich/) > [Mutability is the badge of infirmity. It is seldom that a man continues to wish and design the same thing two days alike. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-charron/mutability-is-the-badge-of-infirmity-it-is-seldom-that-a-man/) [Pierre Charron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-charron/) > [How do you know but ev’ry Bird that cuts the airy way, Is an immense world of delight, clos’d by your senses five?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/how-do-you-know-but-ev-ry-bird-that-cuts-the-airy-way-is-an-immense/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [God washes the eyes by tears until they can behold the invisible land where tears shall come no more. O love! O affliction! ye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/god-washes-the-eyes-by-tears-until-they-can-behold-the-invisible-land/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Where are Shakespeare's imagination, Bacon's learning, Galileo's dream? Where is the sweet fancy of Sidney, the airy spirit of Fletcher, and Milton's thought severe?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-procter/where-are-shakespeare-s-imagination-bacon-s-learning-galileo-s-dream/) [Bryan Procter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-procter/) > [My home kitchen is airy, with a gas stove, a stainless-steel island table in the center and granite countertops. It's very modest but there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-achatz/my-home-kitchen-is-airy-with-a-gas-stove-a-stainless-steel-island/) [Grant Achatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-achatz/) > [At all costs the true world of childhood must prevail, must be restored; that world whose momentous, heroic, mysterious quality is fed on airy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/at-all-costs-the-true-world-of-childhood-must-prevail-must-be/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Society became my glittering bride, And airy hopes my children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/society-became-my-glittering-bride-and-airy-hopes-my-children/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) Browse all 117 Airy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; Saw the heavens fill with commerce, Argosies of magic sails, Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales; Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew, From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alfred the Great" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human-eye-could-see-saw-the-vision-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Airy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human-eye-could-see-saw-the-vision-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/alfred-the-great-24036_airy_for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human_843887.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that…” — Alfred the Great", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alfred the Great", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For I dipt into the future,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human-eye-could-see-saw-the-vision-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/for-i-dipt-into-the-future-far-as-human-eye-could-see-saw-the-vision-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```