Poetry · Chapter
Shadows explained
The poem meditates on the nature of shadows as reflections of the divine, asserting that all things—sun, diamonds, knowledge—are mere shadows of God.
What happens
The poem meditates on the nature of shadows as reflections of the divine, asserting that all things—sun, diamonds, knowledge—are mere shadows of God. The speaker's soul is a shadow of God's word, and even darkness is but light delayed, culminating in a prayer for God to shine through the speaker.
Themes in this chapter
Nature as Divine Revelation
The sun, diamonds, and light are presented as shadows or reflections of God, revealing the divine through the natural world.
Longing for Immortality
The speaker's soul, as a shadow of God, seeks to return to the 'centre bright' and be absorbed into the eternal light.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“All things are shadows of thee, Lord; The sun himself is but thy shade; My spirit is the shadow of thy word, A thing that thou hast said.”
Everything in existence is a mere reflection of you, God; even the sun is only your shadow. My soul is the shadow of your spoken word, a creation of your utterance.
Establishes the central metaphor of shadows as divine reflections.
“My soul, the shadow, still is light Because the shadow falls from thee; I turn, dull candle, to the centre bright, And home flit shadowy.”
My soul, though a shadow, is still luminous because it originates from you. I, like a dim candle, turn toward the radiant center and return home as a fleeting shadow.
Expresses the soul's origin in God and its return to the divine source.
“Shine, Lord; shine me thy shadow still; The brighter I, the more thy shade! My motion be thy lovely moveless will! My darkness, light delayed!”
Lord, continue to shine and make me your shadow; the more I shine, the more I am your shade. Let my actions be your beautiful, unchanging will. My darkness is simply light that has not yet arrived.
A prayer for God to manifest through the speaker, redefining darkness as deferred light.