Poetry · Chapter
I Know What Beauty Is explained
The speaker declares a deep, God-given understanding of beauty in nature, music, and verse, yet ultimately renounces all to come to Christ, the Son of Man, who surpasses all beauty and glorifies all else.
What happens
The speaker declares a deep, God-given understanding of beauty in nature, music, and verse, yet ultimately renounces all to come to Christ, the Son of Man, who surpasses all beauty and glorifies all else.
Themes in this chapter
Nature as Divine Revelation
The speaker sees beauty in Sabbath afternoons, spring, summer woods, autumn, and winter, all as part of God's creation.
Love as Ultimate Strength
The speaker's love for Christ compels him to leave all other beauties, finding greater joy in His presence.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker who knows beauty and chooses to leave all for Christ.
- Jesus Christ
The Son of Man, most lovely and potent, to whom the speaker comes.
- God
The one who set the world within the speaker's heart.
Key passages
“I know what beauty is, for thou Hast set the world within my heart; Of me thou madest it a part; I never loved it more than now.”
I understand beauty because God placed the world in my heart, making it part of me; I love it more than ever.
The speaker acknowledges God as the source of his perception of beauty.
“But I leave all, O Son of man, Put off my shoes, and come to thee! Most lovely thou of all I see, Most potent thou of all that can!”
Yet I abandon everything, O Son of Man, remove my shoes, and come to you! You are the most beautiful and powerful of all I see or can imagine.
The speaker renounces all worldly beauty to approach Christ, who surpasses all.
“As child forsakes his favourite toy, His sisters’ sport, his new-found nest, And, climbing to his mother’s breast, Enjoys yet more his late-left joy— I lose to find.”
Like a child who leaves his favorite toy, his sisters' games, and his new nest, and climbs to his mother's breast, enjoying even more what he left behind—I lose to find.
The speaker compares his renunciation to a child finding greater joy in his mother's embrace.