Love's Philosophy
Percy Bysshe Shelley
The fountains mingle with the river
Small streams of water flow into and join with larger moving rivers.
And the rivers with the Ocean,
These rivers then continue their journey to merge into the vast sea.
The winds of Heaven mix for ever
Breezes in the sky are constantly swirling and blending together in harmony.
With a sweet emotion;
This natural mixing of the winds happens with a gentle, pleasant feeling.
Nothing in the world is single;
No object in the entire universe exists in complete isolation from others.
All things by a law divine
Every part of nature follows a sacred rule that governs their connection.
In one spirit meet and mingle.
All elements come together and combine within a single, shared spiritual essence.
Why not I with thine?--
Since everything else joins together, why shouldn't we be united as well?
See the mountains kiss high Heaven
Observe how the tall mountain peaks appear to touch the sky above.
And the waves clasp one another;
Notice how the ocean waves seem to embrace each other as they crash.
No sister-flower would be forgiven
A flower would be considered wrong if it rejected its nearby companion flower.
If it disdained its brother;
Nature would not excuse a plant that looked down upon its fellow bloom.
And the sunlight clasps the earth
The warm rays of the sun reach down to hold the ground below.
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
Light from the moon gently touches the surface of the ocean water.
What is all this sweet work worth
All this beautiful natural harmony has no value to the speaker alone.
If thou kiss not me?
These natural wonders mean nothing if you refuse to share a kiss.
Tap dotted words for definitions
Perspectives
Tap on a model to reveal its analysis