Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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Earth hath her images of utterance,
 Her hieroglyphic meanings which elude;
 A symbol language of similitude,
 Into whose secrets science may not glance;
 In which the Mind-in-Nature doth romance
 In miracles that baffle if pursued
 No guess shall search them and no thought intrude
 Beyond the limits of her sufferance.
 So doth the great Intelligence above
 Hide His own thought's creations; and attire
 Forms in the dream's ideal, which He dowers
 With immaterial loveliness and love
 As essences of fragrance and of fire
 Preaching th' evangels of the stars and flowers.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a profound meditation on the intricate relationship between nature, human understanding, and divine creation. The poet's use of complex imagery and metaphor suggests a world filled with symbols and meanings that are beyond human comprehension, echoing a Romantic fascination with the sublime and the ineffable in nature.

The poem begins with a reflection on the earth's "images of utterance," suggesting an inherent, though elusive, language in nature. The poet further emphasizes the ineffability of this language, stating that "science may not glance" into its secrets. This can be seen as a critique of rational inquiry's limitations in the face of nature's vast mystery. The poem then moves to liken this mystery to the inscrutability of divine creation, positing nature as a reflection of a "great Intelligence above."

Throughout the poem, the tone is reverent and awestruck, highlighting the poet's sense of wonder as well as the humility in the face of these vast mysteries. The poem's structure, with its regular rhythm and rhyme scheme, provides a sense of order and harmony that mirrors the divine order the poet perceives in nature. The final lines culminate in a poignant evocation of beauty and love as the essence of nature and the divine, using vivid imagery of "fragrance and fire" to suggest a sensory, immediate experience of these abstractions. This poem thus presents a deeply spiritual vision of nature, emphasizing its beauty, mystery, and symbolic richness.