At night the garden becomes a place of hidden activity. The speaker looks into the windy dark, where trees, flower-beds, grass, and hedges are all being swept by something unseen. An old gardener seems to be out there, sweeping and creeping, secretly putting everything in order. The repeated words “sweeping, sweeping” and “creeping, creeping” create a hushed, almost chant-like rhythm, like footsteps or a broom moving through the dark. The mood is mysterious and slightly eerie, but not openly scary. The speaker feels curious and spellbound, as if catching a glimpse of a secret nighttime ritual. The garden is not empty; it is being tended by someone just outside ordinary sight, which makes a familiar place feel strange and quietly alive.
Out in the Garden — Summary
Out in the garden, Out in the windy, swinging dark, Under the trees and over the flower-beds, Over the grass and under the hedge border, Someone is sweeping, sweeping, Some old gardener. Out in the windy, swinging dark, Someone is secretly putting in order, Someone is creeping, creeping.