--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No Through Road All in vain, I will cease…" description: "\"“ No Through Road All in vain, I will cease now My long absorption with the plough, With the tame and the wild creatures And man united with the earth...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/r-s-thomas-2-67589_journey_no-through-road-all-in-vain-i-will-cease_135197.jpg" --- # No Through Road All in vain, I will cease now My long… ![“No Through Road All in vain, I will cease now My long absorption with the plough, With the tame and the wild creatures And man united with the earth. I have failed after many seasons To bring truth to birth, And nature's simple equations In the mind's precincts do not apply. But where to turn?…” quote by R.S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/r-s-thomas-2-67589_journey_no-through-road-all-in-vain-i-will-cease_135197.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/r-s-thomas-2-67589_journey_no-through-road-all-in-vain-i-will-cease_135197.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/r-s-thomas-2-67589_journey_no-through-road-all-in-vain-i-will-cease_135197.jpg) > ““ No Through Road All in vain, I will cease now My long absorption with the plough, With the tame and the wild creatures And man united with the earth. I have failed after many seasons To bring truth to birth, And nature's simple equations In the mind's precincts do not apply. But where to turn? Earth endures After the passing, necessary shame Of winter, and the old lie Of green places beckons me still From the new world, ugly and evil, That men pry for in truth's name.”” [R.S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker laments failed attempts to reconcile human ambition with nature’s indifferent cycles, feeling disillusioned by the limits of rational thought and seeking purpose beyond personal shame. **In simple terms:** Feeling lost after trying to control nature and truth, the poet sees Earth enduring despite human failure. Key Takeaway Accept life’s limits and find humility in nature’s persistence. Themes existential nature humility failure purpose Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - agricultural work - environmental activism - personal reflection - creative writing Key Concepts philosophy poetry ecology human condition Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to accept nature’s autonomy? - How can humility guide our actions? A Different Perspective Nature’s indifference can’t be fully understood or controlled. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bring Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring-truth-1368392/) [Earth Endures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-endures-1540772/) [Earth Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-failed-1540771/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Man U](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-u/) [Man united](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-united/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Turn Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turn-earth-1540773/) ## Related quotes > [Man United has always had a unique aura about it, and when you watch them play everyone knows it's something special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-glazer/man-united-has-always-had-a-unique-aura-about-it-and-when-you-watch/) [Joel Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-glazer/) > [Man United under Fergie were about winning Champions League titles and winning Premier League titles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nicol/man-united-under-fergie-were-about-winning-champions-league-titles/) [Steve Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nicol/) > [I enjoy playing for Man United, and my heart is at Man United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lingard/i-enjoy-playing-for-man-united-and-my-heart-is-at-man-united/) [Jesse Lingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lingard/) > [I was an Evertonian as a kid, but I've never hated Man United. I've always had respect for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/i-was-an-evertonian-as-a-kid-but-i-ve-never-hated-man-united-i-ve/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [You look at Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit at Arsenal or Roy Keane at Man United, and they are players that can do everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-redknapp/you-look-at-patrick-vieira-and-emmanuel-petit-at-arsenal-or-roy-keane/) [Jamie Redknapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-redknapp/) > [In general when I came in at Man United, the standards were not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-ten-hag/in-general-when-i-came-in-at-man-united-the-standards-were-not-right/) [Erik ten Hag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-ten-hag/) > [At Man United we had a great guy called Dave Bushell, the head of education. He was fantastic at spotting when you were down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-fletcher/at-man-united-we-had-a-great-guy-called-dave-bushell-the-head-of/) [Darren Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-fletcher/) > [I demand the highest standards in sleep, recovery and nutrition because that makes the difference if you can perform every third or fourth day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-ten-hag/i-demand-the-highest-standards-in-sleep-recovery-and-nutrition/) [Erik ten Hag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-ten-hag/) > [If you think you're going to come and play for Man United and you're not going to get a little bit of criticism here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mctominay/if-you-think-you-re-going-to-come-and-play-for-man-united-and-you-re/) [Scott McTominay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mctominay/) > [I think Man United is a big club, a big family, a big fan base, and I think they all stick together and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-wan-bissaka/i-think-man-united-is-a-big-club-a-big-family-a-big-fan-base-and-i/) [Aaron Wan-Bissaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-wan-bissaka/) > [We need to be behind Man United always when they win or lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-evra/we-need-to-be-behind-man-united-always-when-they-win-or-lose/) [Patrice Evra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-evra/) > [Everyone knows the history between me and Man United wasn't successful. I didn't want it like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/memphis-depay/everyone-knows-the-history-between-me-and-man-united-wasn-t/) [Memphis Depay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/memphis-depay/) > [It's down to the players, but when you're at Man United, there isn't a lot of greener grass on the other side. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-gunnar-solskjaer/it-s-down-to-the-players-but-when-you-re-at-man-united-there-isn-t-a/) [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-gunnar-solskjaer/) > [I'm a big Manchester United fan. When I was a kid, I worked with a guy who was a Man United fan, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montel-vontavious-porter/i-m-a-big-manchester-united-fan-when-i-was-a-kid-i-worked-with-a-guy/) [Montel Vontavious Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montel-vontavious-porter/) > [When I was a kid and my dad was playing for Man United, I used to stand behind the goal watching Eric Cantona, David…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasper-schmeichel/when-i-was-a-kid-and-my-dad-was-playing-for-man-united-i-used-to/) [Kasper Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasper-schmeichel/) ## More by R.S. Thomas > [“ Children's Song We live in our own world, A world that is too small For you to stoop and enter Even on hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-thomas-2/children-s-song-we-live-in-our-own-world-a-world-that-is-too-small/) [R.S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas-2/) > [“Seated at table - no need for the fracture of the room's silence; noiselessly they conversed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-thomas-2/seated-at-table-no-need-for-the-fracture-of-the-room-s-silence/) [R.S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas-2/) > [“To all light things I compared her: to a snowflake, a feather”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-thomas-2/to-all-light-things-i-compared-her-to-a-snowflake-a-feather/) [R.S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas-2/) [Explore all 4 R.S. Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas-2/) ## More Journey quotes > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Have a Blast; Life wont last! Make the best of the journey before it is over!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/have-a-blast-life-wont-last-make-the-best-of-the-journey-before-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Cocoon's cry to first fly, Travels thousands of miles— So much in so little life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-negi/cocoon-s-cry-to-first-fly-travels-thousands-of-miles-so-much-in-so/) [Ritu Negi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-negi/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Loving yourself is a journey, not a destination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-holliday/loving-yourself-is-a-journey-not-a-destination/) [Tess Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-holliday/) > [“Everywhere is home, let is go home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzuco-hu-nh/everywhere-is-home-let-is-go-home/) [Dzuco Huỳnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzuco-hu-nh/) > [Life is a journey, not a destination. Fall into the deep - rise to new heights. .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish-basumatary/life-is-a-journey-not-a-destination-fall-into-the-deep-rise-to-new/) [Ashish Basumatary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish-basumatary/) > [Be the inner journeys, be the outer travels, all trips elevate man, all voyages lift him up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/be-the-inner-journeys-be-the-outer-travels-all-trips-elevate-man-all/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The hardest roads are often empty; the darkest paths are mostly silent; toughest destinations are almost peopleless! No easy road brings you great victory!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-hardest-roads-are-often-empty-the-darkest-paths-are-mostly-silent/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“May the seas bend to your journey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoraida-c-rdova/may-the-seas-bend-to-your-journey/) [Zoraida Córdova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoraida-c-rdova/) [Browse all 11,861 Journey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ No Through Road All in vain, I will cease now My long absorption with the plough, With the tame and the wild creatures And man united with the earth. 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