And out of darkness came the hands that reach through nature, moulding men.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that through struggles and challenges, transformative forces shape humanity.
In this quote, Tennyson reflects on the concept that out of darkness, or difficult times, there arise hands, symbolizing creative and nurturing forces, that shape and mold individuals. This implies that nature, often seen as a harsh environment, plays a significant role in human development and evolution, emphasizing the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world.
In practice
In a speech about resilience, one might say, 'As Tennyson puts it, 'And out of darkness came the hands that reach through nature, moulding men', reminding us that challenges can lead to personal growth.'
Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.
How many a father have I seen, A sober man, among his boys, Whose youth was full of foolish noise.
O Love! what hours were thine and mine, In lands of palm and southern pine; In lands of palm, of orange-blossom, Of olive, aloe, and maize and vine!
Earth is dry to the centre,_x000D_ But spring, a new comer,_x000D_ A spring rich and strange,_x000D_ Shall make the winds blow_x000D_ Round and round,_x000D_ Thro' and thro',_x000D_ Here and there,_x000D_ Till the air_x000D_ And the ground_x000D_ Shall be fill'd with life anew.
O love, O fire! once he drew With one long kiss my whole soul through My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.
But thy strong Hours indignant work’d their wills, And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me, And tho’ they could not end me, left me maim’d To dwell in presence of immortal youth, Immortal age beside immortal youth, And all I was, in ashes. - Tithonus
I would prefer to stay up and watch the stars than sleep.
Once you've been in space, you appreciate how small and fragile the Earth is.
And gentle winds and waters near, make music to the lonely ear.
My argument has always been that nature has a master plan pushing every species toward procreation and that it is our right and even obligation as rational human beings to defy nature's fascism. Nature herself is a mass murderer, making casual, cruel experiments and condemning 10,000 to die so that one more fit will live and thrive.
And there are my cats, engaged in a ritual that goes back thousands of years, tranquilly licking themselves after the meal. Practical animals, they prefer to have others provide the food ... some of them do. There must have been a split between the cats who accepted domestication and those who did not.
Down the hill I went, and then, I forgot the ways of men, For night-scents, heady and damp and cool Wakened ecstasy
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