Poetry · Chapter
On the Source of the Arve explained
The poem describes the Arve river's tumultuous emergence from its icy, dark source, celebrating its wild, determined course toward the ocean.
What happens
The poem describes the Arve river's tumultuous emergence from its icy, dark source, celebrating its wild, determined course toward the ocean. The river's journey is portrayed as a sublime, free, and inevitable return to its parent, the sea, with vivid imagery of water, wind, and rocky landscapes.
Themes in this chapter
Nature as Divine Revelation
The river's wild, sublime emergence from its source reveals a divine order and purpose in nature's forces.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker addresses the river directly, observing its struggle and freedom.
Key passages
“Hears’t thou the dash of water, loud and hoarse, With its perpetual tidings upward climb, Struggling against the wind?”
Do you hear the loud, rough splash of water, constantly rising and fighting against the wind?
The poet emphasizes the river's persistent and forceful movement.
“But from thine ice-toothed caverns, dark as time, At last thou issuest, dancing to the rime Of thy outvolleying freedom!”
But from your icy, dark caves, you finally emerge, moving joyfully to the rhythm of your bursting freedom.
The river's release from its frozen source is depicted as a triumphant, liberating dance.
“Thy parent waits thee, and her sunset dyes Are ruffled for thy coming, and the gray Of all her glittering borders flashes high Against the glittering rocks!”
The ocean, your parent, awaits you, and its sunset colors are stirred for your arrival, while its shining edges flash against the bright rocks.
The sea is personified as a parent eagerly anticipating the river's return.