The poet seeks to draw a contrast between the permanence of Nature and the changeableness of men. As the poet returns
to the rivulet over the course of his life, he is acutely aware of certain truths. Match these truths, or themes, to the lines from
the poem that represent them.
People have dreams that
remain unfulfilled.
People cannot stay the same
people must age and pass away.
People have pleasant life
experiences worth recalling.
Lines from Poem
Themes
And, singing down thy narrow glen,
Shalt mock the fading race of men.
And the grave stranger, come to see
The play-place of his infancy,
I've tried the world-It wears no more
The colouring of romance it wore.