In these short lines, the speaker watches a calm, beautiful natural world—clouds drifting, a heron singing in blue sky, a stag free on a hill, the wind blowing sweetly. All of it seems easy and unbound. But the speaker is not part of that freedom. He lies down dreaming, and his thoughts keep returning to one person. The repeated word “dreaming” gives the poem a soft, almost trancelike feeling. The final image shifts the tone: while the stag is free, the speaker says he is bound as a prisoner at the beloved’s feet. This is not necessarily a complaint. It can be read as the overwhelming pull of love or longing, a willing captivity that keeps him from moving freely through the lovely world around him. The mood is wistful, tender, and a little melancholy, mixing beauty with a sense of helpless devotion.
The Clouds go By and By — Summary
The clouds go by and by, The heron sings in the blue-- And I lie dreaming, dreaming Ever of you.
The stag on the hill is free, And the wind is blowing sweet-- But I lie bound a prisoner At your feet.