I sit and think poem summary (detailed)
Answers
most on the speaker’s mind.
Summary of I Sit and Think
‘I Sit and Think’ by J.R.R. Tolkien contains the thoughts of an aged speaker who is contemplating his past, present, and inescapable future death.
The poem begins with the speaker acknowledging the fact that eventually a time will come in which he does not see another season. This brings him great sadness and forces him to recall the springs, summers, and autumns he lived through. They were vibrant and beautiful. Now though, they only exist within his mind.
Within the second stanza the speaker continues his meditation on life and death. He is sitting and thinking about everything he didn’t get to see or do. The speaker is still very concerned with the natural world and marks his missed opportunities through un-witnessed “green” spaces.
The mood of the poem darkens as he describes the fact that the future generations will know a world he will never see. This is something that deeply bothers him and over which he would like to mourn. Before he can progress any farther into sadness the present draws his attention. He mentions that there will soon be the sounds of footsteps returning to his door. These are his friends and family members who he would rather enjoy while he can then mourn over something he can’t change.