# I Know What Beauty Is explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by George MacDonald.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters/i-know-what-beauty-is
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters