Freedom Steps Down From the Mountain—But Are We Ready for Her? Tennyson’s Freedom reminds us that liberty isn’t just lofty ideals or ancient thrones—it’s a living force that walks among us. The question is: what will we do with her?
Freedom
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Of old sat Freedom on the heights,
The thunders breaking at her feet:
Above her shook the starry lights:
She heard the torrents meet.
There in her place she did rejoice,
Self-gather’d in her prophet-mind,
But fragments of her mighty voice
Came rolling on the wind.
Then stept she down thro’ town and field
To mingle with the human race,
And part by part to men reveal’d
The fullness of her face —
Grave mother of majestic works,
From her isle-alter gazing down,
Who, God-like, grasps the triple forks,
And, King-like, wears the crown:
Her open eyes desire the truth.
The wisdom of a thousand years
Is in them. May perpetual youth
Keep dry their light from tears;
That her fair form may stand and shine
Make bright our days and light our dreams,
Turning to scorn with lips divine
The falsehood of extremes!
🌟 Poignant Reflection:
Tennyson’s Freedom paints liberty as both ancient and ever-young—rooted in wisdom yet ever descending to meet us where we live. She calls us to rise above falsehood, to embrace truth, and to act with courage and clarity. In a world often caught between extremes, this vision of freedom is as needed today as it was when first written.
❓ Three Questions to Deepen Reflection:
- What does Tennyson’s image of Freedom stepping down from the heights suggest about how we should live liberty in our daily lives?
- How can we, as individuals, help keep Freedom’s “light from tears” in the face of modern challenges?
- In what ways do we today fall into the “falsehood of extremes,” and how can we honor Freedom’s call to truth?