---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And as, when all the summer trees are…"
description: "\"And as, when all the summer trees are seen So bright and green, The Holly leaes a sober hue display Less bright than they, But when the bare and wintry..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png"
---

#  And as, when all the summer trees are seen So bright and…

![“And as, when all the summer trees are seen So bright and green, The Holly leaes a sober hue display Less bright than they, But when the bare and wintry woods we see, What then so cheerful as the Holly-tree?” quote by Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png)

> “And as, when all the summer trees are seen So bright and green, The Holly leaes a sober hue display Less bright than they, But when the bare and wintry woods we see, What then so cheerful as the Holly-tree?”

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Contrast between bright summer trees and the sober hue of holly, questioning its cheerfulness in winter.

**In simple terms:** Summer trees are bright; holly is sober in winter.

Key Takeaway

Find value in subtle, quiet beauty.

Themes

nature seasonal change beauty

Mood

contemplative poetic

Type

literary inspirational

When to use this quote

- gardening
- holiday décor
- seasonal mood
- artistic inspiration

Key Concepts

contrast perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes winter holly appealing despite its duller color?
- How do you appreciate understated beauty?

A Different Perspective

Winter holly may lack brightness but holds its own charm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cheerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheerful/) [Cheerful Holly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheerful-holly-3683897/) [Display](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/display/) [Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green/) [Hollies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollies/) [Holly Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holly-tree-3572639/) [Hue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hue/) [Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Summer Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer-trees-2577905/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Trees Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees-seen-922865/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) [Woods Cheerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods-cheerful-3683898/)

## Related quotes

> [HOLLY TREE (Ilex aquifolium) is a symbol of good will and is associated with sun gods. In Rome the holly was sacred to Saturn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raven-grimassi/holly-tree-ilex-aquifolium-is-a-symbol-of-good-will-and-is-associated/)

[Raven Grimassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raven-grimassi/)

> [“Between the dark, heavily laden treetops of the spreading chestnut trees could be seen the dark blue of the sky, full of stars, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/between-the-dark-heavily-laden-treetops-of-the-spreading-chestnut/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“The innumerable trees she's seen over the course of all her life, the undulating forests that blanket the continents like a heartless sea, envelop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-kang-the-vegetarian/the-innumerable-trees-she-s-seen-over-the-course-of-all-her-life-the/)

[Han Kang, The Vegetarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-kang-the-vegetarian/)

> [...trees to cool the towns in the boiling summer, trees to hold back the winter winds. There were so many things a tree could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/trees-to-cool-the-towns-in-the-boiling-summer-trees-to-hold-back-the/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“The days passed on, the weeks passed on, and the track of the golden autumn wound its bright way visibly through the green summer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collins-wilkie/the-days-passed-on-the-weeks-passed-on-and-the-track-of-the-golden/)

[Collins Wilkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collins-wilkie/)

> [Summer in the trees! “It is time to strangle several bad poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/summer-in-the-trees-it-is-time-to-strangle-several-bad-poets/)

[Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/)

> [“He was among trees then, spring trees tender with the new matchless green of young leaves, and a clear sun dappling them; summer trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cooper/he-was-among-trees-then-spring-trees-tender-with-the-new-matchless/)

[Susan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cooper/)

> [O Reader! hast thou eer stood to see The Holly-tree? The eye that contemplates it well perceies Its glossy leaes Ordered by an Intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/o-reader-hast-thou-eer-stood-to-see-the-holly-tree-the-eye-that/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Because we need Christmas we had better understand what it is and what it isn't. Gifts, holly, mistletoe, and red-nosed reindeer are fun as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-w-pinnock/because-we-need-christmas-we-had-better-understand-what-it-is-and/)

[Hugh W. Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-w-pinnock/)

> [Holly is alive,' thought Foaly 'My princess lives,'exulted Orion. 'And we're chasing a dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-is-alive-thought-foaly-my-princess-lives-exulted-orion-and-we/)

[Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/)

> [Wait," said Butler. "Just wait, Holly. Artemis has a plan." He squinted through the green dome. "What is your plan, Artemis?" All Artemis could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/wait-said-butler-just-wait-holly-artemis-has-a-plan-he-squinted/)

[Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/)

> [Tea? At the beach? No time for luxuries, Holly. There is important work to be done.” He winked at Butler. “Are you sure you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/tea-at-the-beach-no-time-for-luxuries-holly-there-is-important-work/)

[Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/)

> [Holly's theory about the army," Sharon explained. And what is it?" Denise asked, intrigued. Oh, that fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/holly-s-theory-about-the-army-sharon-explained-and-what-is-it-denise/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/)

[George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/)

> [You shouldn't even be in a band if you can't play Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/you-shouldn-t-even-be-in-a-band-if-you-can-t-play-buddy-holly-s-not/)

[John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/)

## More by Robert Southey

> [Some voluntary castaways there will always be, whom no fostering kindness and no parental care can preserve from self-destruction; but if any are lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/some-voluntary-castaways-there-will-always-be-whom-no-fostering/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [It has been more wittily than charitably said that hell is paved with good intentions; they have their place in heaven also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/it-has-been-more-wittily-than-charitably-said-that-hell-is-paved-with/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, the security of the state. As the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/order-is-the-sanity-of-the-mind-the-health-of-the-body-the-peace-of/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Whatever strengthens our local attachments is favorable both to individual and national character, our home, our birthplace, our native land. Think for a while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/whatever-strengthens-our-local-attachments-is-favorable-both-to/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [I have told you of the Spaniard who always put on his spectacles when about to eat cherries, that they might look bigger and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/i-have-told-you-of-the-spaniard-who-always-put-on-his-spectacles-when/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [My days among the dead are passed; Around me I behold, Where'er these casual eyes are cast, The mighty minds of old; My never-failing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/my-days-among-the-dead-are-passed-around-me-i-behold-where-er-these/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Love is indestructible. It's holy flame forever burneth; from Heaven it came, to Heaven returneth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/love-is-indestructible-it-s-holy-flame-forever-burneth-from-heaven-it/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Live as long as you may, the first twenty years are the longest half of your life. They appear so while they are passing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/live-as-long-as-you-may-the-first-twenty-years-are-the-longest-half/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Take away love, and not physical nature only, but the heart of the moral world, would be palsied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/take-away-love-and-not-physical-nature-only-but-the-heart-of-the/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Where Washington hath left His awful memory A light for after times!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/where-washington-hath-left-his-awful-memory-a-light-for-after-times/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [The loss of a friend is like that of a limb; time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/the-loss-of-a-friend-is-like-that-of-a-limb-time-may-heal-the-anguish/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Three things a wise man will not trust, The wind, the sunshine of an April day, And woman's plighted faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/three-things-a-wise-man-will-not-trust-the-wind-the-sunshine-of-an/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [She comes majestic with her swelling sails, The gallant Ship: along her watery way, Homeward she drives before the favouring gales; Now flirting at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/she-comes-majestic-with-her-swelling-sails-the-gallant-ship-along-her/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [A wise judge, by the craft of the law, was never seduced from its purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/a-wise-judge-by-the-craft-of-the-law-was-never-seduced-from-its/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

> [Let us depart! the universal sun Confines not to one land his blessed beams; Nor is man rooted, like a tree, whose seed, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/let-us-depart-the-universal-sun-confines-not-to-one-land-his-blessed/)

[Robert Southey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

[Explore all 116 Robert Southey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/)

## More Cheerful quotes

> [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/)

[Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/)

> [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&amp;P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/)

[Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/)

> [The best Maxim I know in this life is, to drink your Coffee when you can, and when you cannot, to be easy without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/the-best-maxim-i-know-in-this-life-is-to-drink-your-coffee-when-you/)

[Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/)

> [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-washington/i-am-still-determined-to-be-cheerful-and-happy-in-whatever-situation/)

[Martha Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-washington/)

> [By experience; by a sense of human frailty; by a perception of "the soul of goodness in things evil;" by a cheerful trust in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-robertson/by-experience-by-a-sense-of-human-frailty-by-a-perception-of-the-soul/)

[Frederick William Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-robertson/)

> [Bright reds - scarlet, pillar-box red, crimson or cherry - are very cheerful and youthful. There is certainly a red for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-dior/bright-reds-scarlet-pillar-box-red-crimson-or-cherry-are-very/)

[Christian Dior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-dior/)

> [To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-auguste-renoir/to-my-mind-a-picture-should-be-something-pleasant-cheerful-and-pretty/)

[Pierre-Auguste Renoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-auguste-renoir/)

> [Well, we can ride together for a while longer. The highway south is farther along this way. I'll be glad of some cheerful company."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/well-we-can-ride-together-for-a-while-longer-the-highway-south-is/)

[John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/)

> [ It's sad if people think that's (homemaking) a dull existance, \[but\] you can't just buy an apartment and furnish it and walk away. It's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/it-s-sad-if-people-think-that-s-homemaking-a-dull-existance-but-you/)

[Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/)

> [When I was about 17, I had a row with my mother and left home for six months, renting a flat and working as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-robinson/when-i-was-about-17-i-had-a-row-with-my-mother-and-left-home-for-six/)

[Anne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-robinson/)

> [Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-ask-better-questions-than-adults-may-i-have-a-cookie-why-is/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [Love is a very contradiction of all the elements of our ordinary nature -- it makes the proud man meek -- the cheerful, sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/love-is-a-very-contradiction-of-all-the-elements-of-our-ordinary/)

[Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/)

> [To bear adversity with meek submission to the will of God; to endure chastisement with all long-suffering and joyfulness; to appear cheerful amid surrounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-angell-james/to-bear-adversity-with-meek-submission-to-the-will-of-god-to-endure/)

[John Angell James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-angell-james/)

[Browse all 600 Cheerful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheerful/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "And as, when all the summer trees are seen So bright and green, The Holly leaes a sober hue display Less bright than they, But when the bare and wintry woods we see, What then so cheerful as the Holly-tree?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Southey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-seen-so-bright-and-green-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cheerful"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-seen-so-bright-and-green-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/robert-southey-4115_cheerful_and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-see_2834811.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“And as, when all the summer trees are seen So bright and green, The Holly leaes a sober hue display Less…” — Robert Southey",
                "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": "Robert Southey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "And as, when all the summer...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-seen-so-bright-and-green-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southey/and-as-when-all-the-summer-trees-are-seen-so-bright-and-green-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
