How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
And though the fields look rough with hoary dew,
All will be gay when noontide wakes anew
The buttercups, the little children's dower (17-19)
The speaker's description of the scenery is given an emotional punch when he mentions "the little children" in the lines. Those sweet, innocent creatures are the beneficiaries of a "dower," an inheritance, of buttercups. While those may be hard to spend, it's clear that what's really being passed down is a kind of patriotic gift: access to the beauty of the English countryside.