A Prelude

"A Prelude" by Francis Sherman is a poem that thinks about big ideas like nature, friendship, and what it means to be human when we know time is passing and we'll eventually die. The poem uses beautiful language to explore feelings, especially a strong desire to be free and connected to the world around us. The person speaking in the poem feels tired and lonely, but also finds comfort in nature, like trees and grass. They see other people who want to escape the everyday struggles of life. The speaker is torn between staying in the peaceful present and going back to the past with their friends, but in the end, the poem suggests finding happiness by appreciating the beauty of now and understanding that we can find peace inside ourselves even as time moves on.