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Bed Quote by Tobias Smollett

“On Leven's banks, while free to rove, And tune the rural pipe to love, I envied not the happiest swain That ever trod the Arcadian plain. Pure stream! in whose transparent wave My youthful limbs I wont to lave; No torrents stain thy limpid source, No rocks impede thy dimpling course, That sweetly…” quote by Tobias Smollett
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“On Leven's banks, while free to rove, And tune the rural pipe to love, I envied not the happiest swain That ever trod the Arcadian plain. Pure stream! in whose transparent wave My youthful limbs I wont to lave; No torrents stain thy limpid source, No rocks impede thy dimpling course, That sweetly warbles o'er its bed, With white, round, polish'd pebbles spread.”

Tobias Smollett

About This Quote

Source Poem: Unnamed pastoral poem, 18th century

The speaker admires a pristine, untroubled river, celebrating its pure, unblemished flow and gentle surroundings.

In simple terms: A pure river symbolizes untouched beauty.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate untouched natural beauty.

Themes

nature purity tranquility

Mood

contemplative serene

Type

poetic inspirational

When to use this quote

  • environmental writing
  • meditation
  • landscape painting

Key Concepts

river symbolism pastoral ideal

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does this river reflect inner peace?
  • What can we learn from preserving natural purity?
A Different Perspective

Idealizing nature may ignore ecological realities.

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