--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And…" description: "\"Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flushed print in a poppy there: Like a yawn of fire from the grass it came, And the fanning wind puf..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg" --- # Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flushed… ![“Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flushed print in a poppy there: Like a yawn of fire from the grass it came, And the fanning wind puffed it to flapping flame. With burnt mouth red like a lion's it drank The blood of the sun as he slaughtered sank, And dipped its cup in the…” quote by Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg) > “Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flushed print in a poppy there: Like a yawn of fire from the grass it came, And the fanning wind puffed it to flapping flame. With burnt mouth red like a lion's it drank The blood of the sun as he slaughtered sank, And dipped its cup in the purpurate shine When the eastern conduits ran with wine.” [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) ## 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 describes a vivid, fiery natural scene, likening it to a lion drinking the sun’s blood, evoking intense, elemental imagery. **In simple terms:** A vivid, fiery description of nature’s power and transformation. Key Takeaway Appreciate the raw energy of natural cycles. Themes nature energy transformation Mood passionate dramatic Type poetic symbolic When to use this quote - summer heat - wildfire - sunset - natural cycles Key Concepts imagery symbolism mythic resonance Practical Applications - creative writing - visual description Questions to Reflect On - What emotions does the fiery imagery evoke? - How does the poem connect natural and human forces? A Different Perspective The metaphor may obscure literal meaning for some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Lions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lions/) [Lips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lips/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“The three words that had caught my eye were "drank his blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/the-three-words-that-had-caught-my-eye-were-drank-his-blood/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“If I've killed one man, I've killed two-- The vampire who said he was you And drank my blood for a year, Seven years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath-daddy/if-i-ve-killed-one-man-i-ve-killed-two-the-vampire-who-said-he-was/) Sylvia Plath Daddy > [“You drank my blood." With one arched brow, Rachel seared Rees with her stare. "Yes, but only because he commanded it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-rhine/you-drank-my-blood-with-one-arched-brow-rachel-seared-rees-with-her/) [D.A. Rhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-rhine/) > [“He had waited until I had my door open, then driven away. The perfect gentleman. Sort of like Dracula just before he drank your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-andrews/he-had-waited-until-i-had-my-door-open-then-driven-away-the-perfect/) Toni Andrews > [What have you done to my cat?" Magnus demanded... "You drank his blood, didn't you? You said you weren't hungry!" Simon was indignant. "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-have-you-done-to-my-cat-magnus-demanded-you-drank-his-blood-didn/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Daniel exposed his machete-like fangs much to the delight of Hartwell, who was gasping for air like a fish out of water. He furiously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-wohl/daniel-exposed-his-machete-like-fangs-much-to-the-delight-of-hartwell/) [Phil Wohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-wohl/) > [“The unhinged jaw of a nepatrox mouth—with the wide flaps to either side flapping away—greeted him through the window. The beast had climbed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-foehner-wells/the-unhinged-jaw-of-a-nepatrox-mouth-with-the-wide-flaps-to-either/) [Jennifer Foehner Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-foehner-wells/) > [Snapshots, moments, mere seconds: as fragile and beautiful and hopeless as a single butterfly, flapping on against a gathering wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/snapshots-moments-mere-seconds-as-fragile-and-beautiful-and-hopeless/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I was awakened at midnight by some heavy, low-flying bird, probably a loon, flapping by close over my head, along the shore. So, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-was-awakened-at-midnight-by-some-heavy-low-flying-bird-probably-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Fractal litigation, whereby the flapping of a butterfly’s wings on one side of the world resulted in a massive compensation claim on the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/fractal-litigation-whereby-the-flapping-of-a-butterfly-s-wings-on-one/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) > [Here in this ocean, in the midst of all this water, with the red flags on those distant buoys flapping in the sea breeze,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/here-in-this-ocean-in-the-midst-of-all-this-water-with-the-red-flags/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [ From the time of Dante \[Alighieri\], when you have the Ptolemaic universe, you had God on the outside like a hypersphere, and then in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/from-the-time-of-dante-alighieri-when-you-have-the-ptolemaic-universe/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [It's awful undermining to the intellect, German is; you want to take it in small doses, or first you know your brains all run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-awful-undermining-to-the-intellect-german-is-you-want-to-take-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [But the owls themselves are not hard to find, silent and on the wing, with their ear tufts flat against their heads as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/but-the-owls-themselves-are-not-hard-to-find-silent-and-on-the-wing/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-excitement-that-has-found-a-settling-down-place-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Francis Thompson > [Babies breathe a lot more rapidly than adults do, and what's more, they're also growing quickly and so they're absorbing lots more into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/babies-breathe-a-lot-more-rapidly-than-adults-do-and-what-s-more-they/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [And left the flushed print in a poppy there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/and-left-the-flushed-print-in-a-poppy-there/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [Look for me in the nurseries of Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/look-for-me-in-the-nurseries-of-heaven/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [“The fairest things have fleetest end, Their scent survives their close: But the rose's scent is bitterness To her who loved the rose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/the-fairest-things-have-fleetest-end-their-scent-survives-their-close-2/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [“Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee Save Me, save only Me? All which I took from thee I did but take, Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/whom-wilt-thou-find-to-love-ignoble-thee-save-me-save-only-me-all/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [“ A Corymbus for Autumn How are the veins of thee, Autumn, laden? Umbered juices, And pulpèd oozes Pappy out of the cherry-bruises, Froth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/a-corymbus-for-autumn-how-are-the-veins-of-thee-autumn-laden-umbered/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [But lilies, stolen from grassy mold, No more curled state unfold, Translated to a vase of gold; In burning throne though they keep still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/but-lilies-stolen-from-grassy-mold-no-more-curled-state-unfold/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [Happiness is the shadow of things past, Wich fools still take for that which is to be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/happiness-is-the-shadow-of-things-past-wich-fools-still-take-for-that/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [An atheist is a man who believes himself an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/an-atheist-is-a-man-who-believes-himself-an-accident/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [Oh invisible, we view thee, O world intangible, we touch thee, o world unknowable, we know thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/oh-invisible-we-view-thee-o-world-intangible-we-touch-thee-o-world/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [“I fled Him down the nights and down the days I fled Him down the arches of the years I fled Him down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/i-fled-him-down-the-nights-and-down-the-days-i-fled-him-down-the/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [The devil doesn't know how to sing, only how to howl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/the-devil-doesn-t-know-how-to-sing-only-how-to-howl/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [Agnosticism is the everlasting perhaps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/agnosticism-is-the-everlasting-perhaps/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [Baby smiled, mother wailed, Earthward while the sweetling sailed; Mother smiled, baby wailed, When to earth came Viola.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/baby-smiled-mother-wailed-earthward-while-the-sweetling-sailed-mother/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [In all change, well looked into, the germinal good out-veils the apparent ill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/in-all-change-well-looked-into-the-germinal-good-out-veils-the/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) [Explore all 31 Francis Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) ## More Blood quotes > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [Don't trust everyone, because one day you will shed tears of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/don-t-trust-everyone-because-one-day-you-will-shed-tears-of-blood/) [SunShine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/) > [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [What about you three, where are you going?" Even before Halt answered, Will knew what he was going to say. But that didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/what-about-you-three-where-are-you-going-even-before-halt-answered/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/a-day-without-blood-is-like-a-day-without-sunshine/) [R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) Browse all 6,234 Blood quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flushed print in a poppy there: Like a yawn of fire from the grass it came, And the fanning wind puffed it to flapping flame. With burnt mouth red like a lion's it drank The blood of the sun as he slaughtered sank, And dipped its cup in the purpurate shine When the eastern conduits ran with wine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Thompson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and-left-the-flushed-print-in-a-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blood" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and-left-the-flushed-print-in-a-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/francis-thompson-19986_blood_summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and_1708624.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, And left the flushed print in a poppy there: Like a yawn of fire from…” — Francis Thompson", "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": "Francis Thompson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Summer set lip to earth's bosom...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and-left-the-flushed-print-in-a-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/summer-set-lip-to-earth-s-bosom-bare-and-left-the-flushed-print-in-a-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 } } ] } ```