--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nature in darkness groans and men are…" description: "\"Nature in darkness groans and men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night: restless they turn on beds of sorrow; in their inmost brain feeling t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg" --- # Nature in darkness groans and men are bound to sullen… ![“Nature in darkness groans and men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night: restless they turn on beds of sorrow; in their inmost brain feeling the crushing wheels, they rise, they write the bitter words of stern philosophy and knead the bread of knowledge with tears and groans.” quote by William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg) > “Nature in darkness groans and men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night: restless they turn on beds of sorrow; in their inmost brain feeling the crushing wheels, they rise, they write the bitter words of stern philosophy and knead the bread of knowledge with tears and groans.” [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In darkness, humans confront sorrow and turn to philosophy, creating knowledge through struggle and tears. **In simple terms:** Sorrow leads to deep thought and creation. Key Takeaway Embrace hardship to produce insight. Themes suffering philosophy creation knowledge emotion Mood melancholic reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - nighttime reflection - writing under duress - academic research - personal loss - grief counseling Key Concepts existentialism creative struggle introspection Questions to Reflect On - How can pain be transformed productively? - What limits does sorrow impose on creativity? A Different Perspective The quote romanticizes suffering, which can be harmful if glorified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitter words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter-words/) [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) [Contemplation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplation/) [Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crush/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Restless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restless/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Senseless is the breast and cold Which relenting love would fold; Bloodless are the veins and chill Which the pulse of pain did fill;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/senseless-is-the-breast-and-cold-which-relenting-love-would-fold/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [A friend's bitter words seem to us more poisonous than a serpent's teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-friend-s-bitter-words-seem-to-us-more-poisonous-than-a-serpent-s/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/strong-and-bitter-words-indicate-a-weak-cause/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“For me, you are fresh water that falls from trees when it has stopped raining. For me, you are cinnamon that lingers on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/for-me-you-are-fresh-water-that-falls-from-trees-when-it-has-stopped/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [ “You will especially not find anyone who speaks bitterly to you. All the 'diseases' \[worldly suffering\] remains due to the sweetness. Bitterness will remove… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/you-will-especially-not-find-anyone-who-speaks-bitterly-to-you-all/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Farewell's a bitter word to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/farewell-s-a-bitter-word-to-say/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) > [Harsh or bitter words are much more painful than the physical wounds. Therefore, always beware in the words that you may say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofeliza-padrigone/harsh-or-bitter-words-are-much-more-painful-than-the-physical-wounds/) [Jofeliza Padrigone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofeliza-padrigone/) > [Sometimes you have to let go of the one you love to find out if there is really something there. Sometimes you won't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pollok/sometimes-you-have-to-let-go-of-the-one-you-love-to-find-out-if-there-2/) [Robert Pollok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pollok/) > [“Manifest in this trade (commercial sale of indulgences via bankers) at the same time was a pernicious tendency in the Roman Catholic system, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-bavinck/manifest-in-this-trade-commercial-sale-of-indulgences-via-bankers-at/) [Herman Bavinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-bavinck/) > [“Everyone's life is a poetry rhymed with sweet and bitter words, rhythmed with moments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ahanes/everyone-s-life-is-a-poetry-rhymed-with-sweet-and-bitter-words/) Robert Ahanes > [Every temptation that is resisted, every evil thought that is curbed, every desire that is subdued, every bitter word that is withheld, every noble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivananda/every-temptation-that-is-resisted-every-evil-thought-that-is-curbed/) [Sivananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivananda/) > [“Ellen's life was not easy, nor was it happy, but she did not expect life to be easy, and, if it was not happy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/ellen-s-life-was-not-easy-nor-was-it-happy-but-she-did-not-expect/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [If I go out of public life with one feeling, with one conviction, it is this : a deep regret for many bitter words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bourassa/if-i-go-out-of-public-life-with-one-feeling-with-one-conviction-it-is/) [Henri Bourassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bourassa/) > [To use bitter words, when kind words are at hand, Is like picking unripe fruit when the ripe fruit is there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiruvalluvar/to-use-bitter-words-when-kind-words-are-at-hand-is-like-picking/) [Thiruvalluvar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiruvalluvar/) > [“When their brother-in-law turned toward them at the sound,Lisa breathed with horror, "But you're dead." Her head swiveled to Christiana. "Wasn't he dead, Chrissy?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/when-their-brother-in-law-turned-toward-them-at-the-sound-lisa/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) ## More by William Blake > [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Where any view of money exists, art cannot be carried on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/where-any-view-of-money-exists-art-cannot-be-carried-on/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [God only acts and is, in existing beings or men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/god-only-acts-and-is-in-existing-beings-or-men/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Kill not the moth nor butterfly, For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/kill-not-the-moth-nor-butterfly-for-the-last-judgement-draweth-nigh/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The world of imagination is the world of eternity. It is the divine bosom into which we shall all go after death of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-world-of-imagination-is-the-world-of-eternity-it-is-the-divine/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/imagination-is-the-real-and-eternal-world-of-which-this-vegetable/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Painters are noted for being dissipated and wild.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/painters-are-noted-for-being-dissipated-and-wild/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Time is the mercy of Eternity; without Time's swiftness Which is the swiftest of all things, all were eternal torment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/time-is-the-mercy-of-eternity-without-time-s-swiftness-which-is-the/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-difference-between-a-bad-artist-and-a-good-one-is-the-bad-artist/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Cruelty has a human heart, and jealousy a human face. Terror, the human form divine, And secrecy, the human dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/cruelty-has-a-human-heart-and-jealousy-a-human-face-terror-the-human/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [A dead body revenges not injuries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/a-dead-body-revenges-not-injuries/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained; and the restrainer or reason usurps its place & governs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/those-who-restrain-desire-do-so-because-theirs-is-weak-enough-to-be/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [To generalize is to be an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/to-generalize-is-to-be-an-idiot/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [THE POISON TREE I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-poison-tree-i-was-angry-with-my-friend-i-told-my-wrath-my-wrath/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The bird a nest the spider a web the human friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-bird-a-nest-the-spider-a-web-the-human-friendship/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) [Explore all 592 William Blake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## More Bed quotes > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Your idea of fidelity is not having more than one man in bed at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-raphael/your-idea-of-fidelity-is-not-having-more-than-one-man-in-bed-at-the/) [Frederic Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-raphael/) > [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish I had as much in bed as I get in the newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-wish-i-had-as-much-in-bed-as-i-get-in-the-newspapers/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [“In the parking lot, she drove and parked in a dark area with no other cars around. She reclined her seat, and listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/in-the-parking-lot-she-drove-and-parked-in-a-dark-area-with-no-other/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [I have to meditate before I go to bed, always. I have to let the day go and let the eternal in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/i-have-to-meditate-before-i-go-to-bed-always-i-have-to-let-the-day-go/) [Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/) > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." "Men are no good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/when-i-saw-him-i-thought-i-could-curl-up-inside-him-and-go-to-sleep/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [I always wanted to be a movie star. I thought it meant being famous and having breakfast in bed. I didn't know you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-allyson/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-movie-star-i-thought-it-meant-being-famous/) [June Allyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-allyson/) Browse all 4,159 Bed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nature in darkness groans and men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night: restless they turn on beds of sorrow; in their inmost brain feeling the crushing wheels, they rise, they write the bitter words of stern philosophy and knead the bread of knowledge with tears and groans.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Blake" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bound-to-sullen-contemplation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bound-to-sullen-contemplation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/william-blake-397_bed_nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bo_479271.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nature in darkness groans and men are bound to sullen contemplation in the night: restless they turn on beds…” — William Blake", "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": "William Blake", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nature in darkness groans and men...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bound-to-sullen-contemplation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/nature-in-darkness-groans-and-men-are-bound-to-sullen-contemplation/#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 } } ] } ```