Anna Wickham’s speaker is someone drawn to wide, changing landscapes—cliffs, sand, sea, blue skies, and stormy weather all give her pleasure. But the poem also carries a sense of restlessness. Even the beauty of endless space can become tiring. When she grows weary of everything she sees, she turns away from the outer world and holds onto the memory of a loved one’s face. The poem moves from roaming through nature to finding comfort in love. The mood is calm and reflective, touched with a gentle melancholy. Nature offers wonder, but it cannot fully satisfy her; what steadies her in the end is the quiet, inward presence of someone dear.
Wander Song — Summary
When I come to the end of the land, I find the sea,
With edges of cliff and breadths of sand To pleasure me.
When I raise my town-tired eyes There is blue and white, Or kings and castles of stormy skies. Or joy of night.
When I weary of all I see And tire even of space, I hold your love in memory. And your dear face.