--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was born upon thy bank, river, My blood…" description: "\"I was born upon thy bank, river, My blood flows in thy stream, And thou meanderest forever, At the bottom of my dream.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_blood_i-was-born-upon-thy-bank-river-my-blood_2414921.jpg" --- # I was born upon thy bank, river, My blood flows in thy… ![“I was born upon thy bank, river, My blood flows in thy stream, And thou meanderest forever, At the bottom of my dream.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_blood_i-was-born-upon-thy-bank-river-my-blood_2414921.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_blood_i-was-born-upon-thy-bank-river-my-blood_2414921.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_blood_i-was-born-upon-thy-bank-river-my-blood_2414921.jpg) > “I was born upon thy bank, river, My blood flows in thy stream, And thou meanderest forever, At the bottom of my dream.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poet identifies with the river, feeling his life flow within it, suggesting an endless, dream‑like existence. **In simple terms:** The poet feels one with a river. Key Takeaway Embrace unity with nature. Themes nature identity dreams Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - meditation - creative writing - environmental activism Key Concepts transcendence self‑reflection flow Questions to Reflect On - How does identifying with nature affect self‑perception? - Can this view guide sustainable living? A Different Perspective The metaphor may obscure practical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood/) [Blood flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood-flow/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Born Thy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-thy-6092499/) [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) [Flowing river](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowing-river/) [Flows Thy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flows-thy-6092498/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Rivers and water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers-and-water/) [Stream Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stream-thou-6092500/) [Streams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streams/) [Thou Meanderest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-meanderest-6092497/) [Thy Stream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-stream-5447818/) ## Related quotes > [Enjoy thy stream, O harmless fish; And when an angler for his dish, Through gluttony's vile sin, Attempts, the wretch, to pull thee out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wolcot/enjoy-thy-stream-o-harmless-fish-and-when-an-angler-for-his-dish/) [John Wolcot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wolcot/) > [Rivers must have been the guides which conducted the footsteps of the first travelers. 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The health of our waters is the principal measure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luna-leopold/water-is-the-most-critical-resource-issue-of-our-lifetime-and-our/) [Luna Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luna-leopold/) > [To the lost man, to the pioneer penetrating a new country, to the naturalist who wishes to see the wild land at its wildest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/to-the-lost-man-to-the-pioneer-penetrating-a-new-country-to-the/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [I gave my heart to the mountains the minute I stood beside this river with its spray in my face and watched it thunder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-gave-my-heart-to-the-mountains-the-minute-i-stood-beside-this-river/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Between earth and earth's atmosphere, the amount of water remains constant; there is never a drop more, never a drop less. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hogan/between-earth-and-earth-s-atmosphere-the-amount-of-water-remains/) [Linda Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hogan/) > [The trees reflected in the river - they are unconscious of a spiritual world so near to them. So are we.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-trees-reflected-in-the-river-they-are-unconscious-of-a-spiritual/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. 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Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## 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. 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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. 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