On a sunny hillside, the speaker promises herself a kind of pure happiness. She wants to be “the gladdest thing / Under the sun,” but her gladness is gentle: she will admire a hundred flowers without picking any. Instead of taking or disturbing anything, she simply pays attention—watching cliffs, clouds, wind moving through grass. The mood is quiet, calm, and full of light.
As evening comes and the town lights appear, she picks out the one that belongs to her home and heads back down. The ending feels warm and grounded, as if her time alone on the hill has refreshed her for ordinary life. The poem celebrates the joy of noticing the world without needing to possess it.