How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
A few sands and dead leaves to gather,
Gather, and merge myself as part of the sands and drift. (23-24)
The speaker gathers himself the way the dead leaves gather on shore; he's merging with nature. He then starts to see himself as just another part of nature, no different than the drift. But does this feeling give him peace or does it make him feel insignificant?
Quote #2
Nature here in sight of the sea taking advantage of me to dart upon me and sting me,
Because I have dared to open my mouth to sing at all. (33-34)
Here, nature is more of an adversary—or at least, a disciplinarian. The speaker has begun to feel ashamed for his previous identity, and thinks that nature itself finds it abhorrent. But is that just the speaker projecting his own feelings onto nature? Here, he places himself outside of nature, and later he finds himself feeling more hopeful and unified with it.
Quote #3
You oceans both, I close with you,
We murmur alike reproachfully rolling sands and drift, knowing not why,
These little shreds indeed standing for you and me and all. (35-37)
"Both" oceans represent both sides of the speaker. Now, they have begun to converge into one body of water, just as the speaker has begun to feel more at one with the warring parts of his identity. But how can you tell which ocean is which, if they have combined? The water mixes and the two sides are indistinguishable.