I never saw a moor

Summary

The poem explores themes of imagination, faith, and perception. It suggests that one can understand and believe in things they have never personally experienced or seen. The speaker uses the imagery of a moor and the sea to illustrate how they can envision places they have never visited, through descriptions and the mind's eye. Similarly, the speaker expresses a sense of certainty about spiritual beliefs, despite never having physically encountered God or heaven. This conveys the idea that belief and understanding can transcend direct experience, relying instead on inner conviction and imagination.

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I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.

I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.