How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
The lips of time leech to the fountain head; …
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars. (16, 20)
The metaphor gloves come off in the poem's fourth stanza, and Thomas refers to the force by name: time. Still, he couldn't resist a little personification. The "lips of time" are draining the "fountain head." This image echoes the force in stanza 2 drying up all those streams and springs—it feels pretty negative to us. But wait: line 20 saves the day with the creative balance for the destructive imagery in the previous line. Time is also responsible for creating the heavens—now that's some serious creative power. Notice the word choice of "ticked." Tick-tock—we even have clock sounds.