The speaker derives immenge pleasure in meandering through the pathless woods (not inhabited or

trampled by man) and is filled with ecstatic joy in the lonely shore. In the first four lines Byron very
deftly establishes the loneliness and quietness of the sea-shore and surrounding woods with the use of
the words Pathless woods, lonely shore, where none intrudes. In this lonely, uninhabited and natural
surrounding, the speaker is filled with great pleasure and rapture. The lonely shore, the pathless woods
and the deep sea excite him and his personal loneliness is completely forgotten for the deep sea is his
society, he can hear music in its roar. The Ocean is a friend, a companion to him. The lines remind us of
Wordsworths Tintern Abbey and Arnolds Dover Beach. Wordsworth hears the still music of humanity in
nature, Arnold finds a melancholic note in the music of the waves flinging pebbles at the rocky beach
and makes him think of the sad plight of human beings. Byron does not associate mans unhappy lot
with the rhythmic music of the sea. He makes it clear that he does not emphasise the solitude of the
natural surrounding because he dislikes the company of man. He loves Man but he loves Nature more.
This is a very unusual sentiment for Byron who was fond of human company. He often retires to this
secluded place to get away from the interviews of human beings and to have communion with nature,
particular!} with the sea, and to listen to its music. He loves lonelines in Nature for it makes him forget
himself and his bitter experiences and provides him an opportunity to mingle with the universe. The
lines remind us of his Epistle to Augusta where he expresses his desire to mingle with the quiet of the
sky. He. wants to have a rapport with nature and the pleasure which he will have with this mingling with
nature cannot be concealed and yet it can not be described. The immense pleasure can be felt and
experienced but can not be expressed in words. The speaker addresses the ocean and exhorts it to roll
on. It is a deep and dark blue ocean. The rolling of the ocean makes the speaker reflect on the cruelty of
man. He contrasts nature with man. Although ten thousand fleets (war ships) move over the ocean-float
on the ocean-sweep over it but the waves continue to move-roll on-without any hesitation or
obstruction. Man is not able to control or rule the movement of the ocean water

Colour symbolism
Critics commenting on the colour symbolism Marvell uses have discussed endlessly the meaning of green Thought'
and green Shade', and the force of annihilating', which literally means to reduce to nothing'. Here as throughout
the poem, green is the literal colour of the garden, but Marvell also plays with the other meanings of the word:
mild, jealous, immature, tender, flourishing, gullible, unseasonal, perceptibly fresh and new.
The mind as an ocean may be a more difficult image. It derives from the belief that what is underwater
corresponds to what is on land. Thus, the mind also constructs a world which corresponds to (and is better than)
the material world.
The Bodies vest' is a Platonic image: the body is just a garment, which the soul can slip out of like a Bird' since,
birds have freedom of movement, as the imagination does, and can soar up toheaven, as the soul.