# Shadows explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by George MacDonald.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### God

Addressed as the Lord whose shadow is the sun and all creation; the speaker's soul is a shadow of His word.

### Unknown

The speaker who reflects on the shadowy nature of existence and prays for God's light.

## Key lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters/shadows
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters