On the morning appointed for her departure Tess awoke before dawn – at the marginal minute of the dark when the grove is still mute save for one prophetic bird, who sings with a clear-voiced conviction that he at least knows the correct time of day, the rest preserving silence, as if equally convinced that he is mistaken. Thomas Hardy
About This Quote

On the morning appointed for her departure Tess awoke before dawn — at the marginal minute of the dark when the grove is still mute save for one prophetic bird, who sings with a clear-voiced conviction that he at least knows the correct time of day, the rest preserving silence, as if equally convinced that he is mistaken. The bird we're speaking of here is a nightingale and this quote is from A Song of Travel and Other Essays by T.S. Eliot. The bird's song foretells what will happen.

It tells us what the narrator will do on this morning. This bird knows what will happen today and yet it doesn't let on to those around him. It is as if faithful to his song he is also faithful to his reputation as a prophet, knowing all along that this will be his last day on earth and that he will not survive this morning.

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