Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of a profound, almost mystical connection to nature, experienced across time. The narrator perceives the "lyre of earth" as a tangible force that binds them to the past, specifically to "dead-ebb shores." This sensory experience, a "blood thrill," suggests a deep, visceral response to the natural world that transcends the present moment.
The core tension seems to lie in the narrator's desire to fully re-experience this connection versus the effort required to do so. To "conjure into me / Those issue notes," the narrator must actively recall and understand the subtle energies of the environment: the "low throb of expectancy" and the "white mother muteness" that influenced even the smallest elements of the woods.
The most striking aspect is the personification of nature's silence as a powerful, active presence – "white mother muteness / Pressed on leaf and herb." This suggests that even stillness in nature is a potent force, shaping and influencing the world around it. The contrast between the perceived "lyre" (sound) and the "muteness" (silence) highlights a complex, multi-sensory perception of the earth.
Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they articulate an intense, almost spiritual communion with the natural world. The writing emphasizes that this connection isn't passive; it requires a deep, attentive review of nature's quiet power and the subtle rhythms of life and anticipation that underpin it.
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