Two Rivers

Read 'Two Rivers' by 'Ralph Waldo Emerson' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

Two Rivers by Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Thy summer voice, Musketaquit, 
Repeats the music of the rain; 
But sweeter rivers pulsing flit 
Through thee, as thou through the Concord Plain. 
Thou in thy narrow banks art pent: 
The stream I love unbounded goes 
Through flood and sea and firmament; 
Through light, through life, it forward flows. 

I see the inundation sweet, 
I hear the spending of the steam 
Through years, through men, through Nature fleet, 
Through love and thought, through power and dream. 

Musketaquit, a goblin strong, 
Of shard and flint makes jewels gay; 
They lose their grief who hear his song, 
And where he winds is the day of day. 

So forth and brighter fares my stream,-- 
Who drink it shall not thirst again; 
No darkness taints its equal gleam, 
And ages drop in it like rain.

Form: Lyric Comments

Comments About This Poem

Share your interpretation, favorite passage, or thoughts about this famous poem. Please provide an in-depth and meaningful comment.

  • What do you think the poet was trying to say?
  • Which line had the biggest impact on you?
  • How does this poem relate to modern life?
  • What literary devices did you notice?
No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace