Son of the old moon-mountains African!
Stream of the Pyramid and Crocodile!
We call thee fruitful, and, that very while,
A desert fills our seeing’s inward span:
Nurse of swart nations since the world began,
Art thou so fruitful? Or dost thou beguile
Such men to honour thee, who, worn with toil,
Rest for a space ‘twixt Cairo and Decan?
O may dark fancies err! They surely do;
‘Tis ignorance that makes a barren waste
Of all beyond itself. Thou dost bedew
Green rushes like our rivers, and dost taste
The pleasant sun-rise. Green isles hast thou too,
And to the sea as happily dost haste.
Summary & Analysis
Keats addresses the Nile River, a legendary and mystical river in Africa, often seen as a symbol of fertility and civilisation. However, he challenges the traditional view by questioning whether the Nile is truly fertile or just an illusion.
- Themes:
- Nature’s beauty and power
- The contrast between appearance and reality
- The romantic fascination with exotic places
- The influence of ignorance on perception
- Tone & Mood:
- The poem begins with admiration but shifts to a questioning and reflective tone.
- The final lines suggest a resolution, recognising the river’s true beauty and significance.