Parting at Morning Duty Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line)

Quote #1

And straight was a path of gold for him, (3)

The sun has a path of gold here, which seems to indicate that even nature experiences duty in the poem. Whether it's the sun or the mountains, everything has a purpose. The "gold" in this line also gives us a sense of reward that comes from fulfilling one's duty, whatever that may be.

Quote #2

And the need of a world of men for me. (4)

That phrase, "world of men," carries all sorts of connotations with it. But the main one here seems to involve the ideas of duty and responsibility that the speaker feels towards the outside world. After all, it can't be all about the inside world and those loving feelings he had the night before. Instead, we think the speaker's pointing towards a sense of balance between the inside and outside worlds, focusing mainly on the latter in this poem, of course.