Famous Poem
in Famous Nature Poems
Jessie B. Rittenhouse's poem, "In The Green Mountains," captures the speaker's overwhelming sense of awe amidst breathtaking natural beauty. The opening lines establish a theme of vigilance through the speaker's declaration: "I dare not look away." This strong statement, coupled with the fear of missing something beautiful, sets the stage for a poem steeped in the importance of attentiveness to the natural world. The poet employs repetition in lines like "beauty such as this" and "loveliness I miss" to emphasize the importance of remaining mindful and fully experiencing the moment.
I dare not look away
From beauty such as this,
Lest, while my glance should stray,
Some loveliness I miss.
I dare not look away
From beauty such as this,
Lest, while my glance should stray,
Some loveliness I miss.
The trees might choose to print
Their shadow on the lake;
The windless air might glint
With aspen leaves that shake.
Over the mountains there
A thin blue veil might drift;
Then in a moment rare
This thin blue veil might lift.
Ah, I must pay good heed
To beauty such as this,
Lest, in some hour of need,
Its loveliness I miss.
More...
Go To Complete Poem