Author: Alfred Lord Tennyson

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Come down, O maid, from yonder mountain height:
What pleasure lives in height (the shepherd sang)
In height and cold, the splendour of the hills?
But cease to move so near the Heavens, and cease
To glide a sunbeam by the blasted Pine,
To sit a star upon the sparkling spire;
And come, for Love is of the valley, come,
For Love is of the valley, come thou down
And find him; by the happy threshold, he,
Or hand in hand with Plenty in the maize,
Or red with spirted purple of the vats,
Or foxlike in the vine; nor cares to walk
With Death and Morning on the silver horns,
Nor wilt thou snare him in the white ravine,
Nor find him dropt upon the firths of ice,
That huddling slant in furrow-cloven falls
To roll the torrent out of dusky doors:
But follow; let the torrent dance thee down
To find him in the valley; let the wild
Lean-headed Eagles yelp alone, and leave
The monstrous ledges there to slope, and spill
Their thousand wreaths of dangling water-smoke,
That like a broken purpose waste in air:
So waste not thou; but come; for all the vales
Await thee; azure pillars of the hearth
Arise to thee; the children call, and I
Thy shepherd pipe, and sweet is every sound,
Sweeter thy voice, but every sound is sweet;
Myriads of rivulets hurrying thro' the lawn,
The moan of doves in immemorial elms,
And murmuring of innumerable bees.

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem under scrutiny exhibits a romantic plea for the return of the "maid" from her lofty, isolated position on a mountain to the warm, thriving valley below. The shepherd's song serves as a metaphorical call to the beloved, an appeal for unity and a return to the shared life that love demands. The poem explores themes of love, nature, isolation, and communion, interweaving them seamlessly to create a rich tapestry of human emotion and longing.

The tone of the poem is both plaintive and persuasive, underscored by an adroit use of literary devices. The poet employs vivid imagery and symbolism to contrast the cold, desolate mountain with the vibrant, life-filled valley, enhancing the symbolic significance of each. The mountain represents aloofness and detachment, while the valley symbolizes love, community, and abundance. The shepherd's entreaty for the maiden to 'come down' is thus a call for her to abandon her solitude and embrace the joys of shared existence.

Structurally, the poem maintains a steady rhythm, which emphasizes the shepherd's persistent call, while the repetition of phrases such as 'come thou down' and 'for Love is of the valley' adds a certain urgency to his plea. The metaphor of the 'torrent' dancing the maiden down to the valley is particularly striking, suggesting that even the forces of nature conspire to unite the lovers. The poem concludes on a hopeful note, with the shepherd awaiting the maiden's return amidst the sweet sounds of nature, thereby creating a sense of anticipation and resolution.