The Limits of Human Perception

The primary theme of "Deep Woods" is the shortfall of a human being's ability to perceive nature in its purest form. Although many people believe they are in tune with the natural world and can spiritually connect with animals, trees, oceans, stars, and so forth, this poem is about the more immediate response of an individual confronted with nature here and now. In the first stanza, the person walking through the woods must deal not only with the awe he feels in such overpowering surroundings but also with his physical reaction to it. His heart races, his mind feels like a hunted beast, and his eyes try desperately to trace the path of a vine winding through the branches, but they cannot. Instead, they become "lost in the insanity of line."

The idea of "line," along with "leaf, and light," represents nature's purity, beauty...