The forest is the primary setting of the poem. In the memory they narrate, the speaker's time is spent mostly in the forest, specifically the untouched bower they discover within it. They describe this bower as “unvisited, where not a broken bough/drooped with its withered leaves, ungracious sign/of devastation” (17-19). In addition to portraying the forest as “a virgin scene,” they also imbue it with otherworldly qualities, such as “violets of five seasons” and “fairy water-breaks” (21, 31, 33). As a result, the forest becomes a paradise-like setting, embodying innocence. The purity of the forest is emphasized once again in the closing lines of the poem, wherein the speaker urges the listener to move gently through the woods, as there is a spirit who lives within it.