"The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion"
Shelley opens the poem with this passage, which immediately sets up the argument that follows. Here he describes how there are companionships in nature, such as how the river meets the ocean, and then uses this observation to suggest that his lover should return his affections. These lines are the first examples of natural imagery in the poem, which is one of its key features.
"Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle
Why not I with thine"
Here, Shelley sets out the key argument of the poem. The speaker suggests that if everything in nature has a companion, it is only fair that he should also have one. The argument that "nothing in the world is single" is set between two semi-colons, which establishes it as an important message. This argument also has clear religious connotations, with the reference to the "law divine" that governs nature. Shelley also references the human spirit and includes an allusion to Noah's Ark with the suggestion that everything in nature is part of a pair.
"See the mountains kiss high Heaven
And the waves clasp one another"
Shelley continues with the natural imagery in the second stanza. Here, however, he includes a sense of physical intimacy with the words "kiss" and "clasp." He therefore moves from describing spiritual companionship to physical companionship. Shelley suggests that these are both key aspects of a romantic relationship.
