The Rainbow comes and goes,
And lovely is the Rose,
The Moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare;
Waters on a starry night
Are beautiful and fair;
The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where'er I go,
That there hath passed away a glory from the earth.

In this evocative passage from "Ode: Intimations of Immortality," William Wordsworth reflects on the transient beauty of nature and the enduring sense of loss that accompanies maturity. He enumerates the natural wonders—the rainbow, rose, moon, and sunlight—each a symbol of ephemeral beauty. Despite their magnificence, Wordsworth senses a deeper absence, an intangible "glory" that has vanished from the earth. This "glory" represents the innate wonder and divine connection that children possess, which fades as they grow older. Wordsworth mourns this loss but acknowledges it with a bittersweet acceptance, recognizing that the beauty of the world still holds power and meaning. The passage captures the tension between the fleeting joys of life and the profound, often unspoken, sense of loss that accompanies maturation. It underscores a central theme of the poem: the contrast between the innocence of youth and the wisdom of experience.