In the poem, the tone is bittersweet and one of longing. He speaks of beauty as hard and not soothing or pleasant as we usually view it as. He wishes beauty was light and sweet that brings joy. According to him, great beauty when used with the power of the world is something one cannot control, and if we are not careful it can ruin us.
Through the poem, Emerson is both mesmerized by the quality of beauty and also it's destructive power. Here beauty is not just about physical beauty of women or men but also about the quality of inane things like a painting or a China vase. He refers to the greed and lust associated with beautiful things when worldliness comes into the picture.
Emerson sees beauty as some divine power, and he says the world , when corrupted, worships beauty as a material being. He then speaks fondly of his experiences with beauty and how he sees it. He conveys the message in the poem that not everyone has experienced beauty, and wonders if they are an unhappy and ignorant breed. He says that the origin of beauty derives from the Gardens of Eden, because it is some part of a divine being.
In the poem, Emerson uses symbols. He describes the little details of nature that he finds beautiful, such as an acorn fruit or how a sea wave takes forms. Emerson says that beauty is all around, throughout all living things; but according to our human nature, it can be a myth and fairytale, if it's misused or destroyed. Emerson says that beauty exists in all things, but only touches some.
When first my eyes saw thee,
I found me thy thrall,
By magical drawings,
Sweet tyrant of all!
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