Nature and Its Meaning

The main focus of "The Greatest Grandeur" is the ways in which humans use their observations of nature to lead to conclusions about religion. The poem gives examples of things that people think are signs that there is a divine order beyond what is obvious. These examples are all derived from nature. Some are traditional signs of godly order, such as the peaceful feeling caused by stars over a lake on a clear night or the intimidating violence of a rolling thunderstorm. Others are specifically modern examples, such as the motion of electrons around an atom. Some are as open as the desert, and others are as focused as the quirky motions of a tiny lizard. Whether they are frightening or comforting, intimidating or emboldening, the things of nature are allowed to speak for themselves in this poem. Each case shows that powerful emotions can...