--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Certainly imagery can be gleaned from the…" description: "\"“Certainly imagery can be gleaned from the industrial world — what do Blake's \"dark Satanic Mills,\" for example, owe to the natural world? The city can..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-oliver-570_natural-world_certainly-imagery-can-be-gleaned-from-th_1331498.jpg" --- # Certainly imagery can be gleaned from the industrial world… ![“Certainly imagery can be gleaned from the industrial world — what do Blake's "dark Satanic Mills," for example, owe to the natural world? The city can be, and has been, the source of firm poetic description, and imagery too. But the natural world is the old river that runs through everything, and…” quote by Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-oliver-570_natural-world_certainly-imagery-can-be-gleaned-from-th_1331498.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-oliver-570_natural-world_certainly-imagery-can-be-gleaned-from-th_1331498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91d/mary-oliver-570_natural-world_certainly-imagery-can-be-gleaned-from-th_1331498.jpg) > ““Certainly imagery can be gleaned from the industrial world — what do Blake's "dark Satanic Mills," for example, owe to the natural world? The city can be, and has been, the source of firm poetic description, and imagery too. But the natural world is the old river that runs through everything, and I think poets will forever fish along its shores.”” [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nature provides a timeless source of imagery, while industrial scenes can also inspire, but the natural world remains the fundamental wellspring for poetic imagination. **In simple terms:** Nature is the core source of poetic images. Key Takeaway Seek natural inspiration for deeper poetry. Themes nature creativity inspiration Mood contemplative inspirational Type essay poetic When to use this quote - writing workshops - landscape painting - environmental activism - urban design Key Concepts ecology artistic process literature Questions to Reflect On - How does urban life influence poetic imagination? - Can industrial motifs coexist with natural themes? A Different Perspective Industrial imagery can be compelling but may lack depth without natural grounding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imagery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagery/) [Natural world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-world/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) ## Related quotes > [“Tonight the sun has died like an Emperor ... great scarlet arcs of silk ... saffron ... green ... crimson ... and the blaze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-coldstream/tonight-the-sun-has-died-like-an-emperor-great-scarlet-arcs-of-silk/) John Coldstream > [“These days many poets live in cities, or at least in suburbs, and the natural world grows ever more distant from our everyday lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/these-days-many-poets-live-in-cities-or-at-least-in-suburbs-and-the/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [ “\]Sardis often turning her thoughts here \] you like a goddess and in your song most of all she rejoiced. 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But people grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/there-is-nothing-better-than-work-work-is-also-play-children-know/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [“What will you do with your one precious, wild life?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/what-will-you-do-with-your-one-precious-wild-life/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [“Poetry is a life-cherishing force. 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But now she is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sappho/sardis-often-turning-her-thoughts-here-you-like-a-goddess-and-in-your/) [Sappho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sappho/) > [ Probably the high-watermark of \[Bob\] Dylan's career came after he plugged in his guitar ("Judas!" one fan shouted during a concert) and exploded American… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/probably-the-high-watermark-of-bob-dylan-s-career-came-after-he/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [“Thousands of mosquitoes had already bitten all of us on chest and arms and ankles. 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