BY THE SEA" 將海浪的聲音比喻為擁有千個琴鍵的巨大管風琴,奏出迎別與告別、希望與恐懼的旋律,暗示了人類在海邊上演的離合悲歡與海本身所蘊含的深邃悲傷(海水是「眼淚的鹹鹹海水」)。而 "SONG OF THE SEASONS" 透過對夏季的歌頌與冬季的哀嘆,反映了生命中歡樂與悲傷的循環。
* **愛的多層次描繪:** 愛在詩集中呈現多種面貌,有青春初萌的羞澀與渴望("REVEALED—NOT SPOKEN", "WHEN THOU ART NEAR", "A LOVE SONG"),有歷經考驗後的重逢與原諒("AT LAST"),也有超越生死、存在於記憶深處的思念("MY LOVE OF LONG AGO")。同時,她也描寫了未能說出口的遺憾("A SUMMER MEMORY")以及對愛情力量的讚頌("LOVE’S POWER"),認為愛能戰勝死亡的陰影。
, "MY LOVE OF LONG AGO", "IN SUMMER TIME", "AT LAST", "WHEN THOU ART NEAR", "A LOVE SONG", "DELILAH".
* **失去與悲傷:** "A MOTHER’S GRIEF", "MY HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO ME DESOLATE", "BESIDE THE DEAD", "SHATTERED HOPES", "WAE’S ME", "A BABY’S GRAVE", "THE INSCRUTABLE".
* **兒童與純真:** "WEE ELSIE", "BIDE WI’ MITHER", "CHILD ANGELS", "GRANNIE’S BAIRN", "A CHILD’S FAVOURITE", "DOLLY’S GARDEN", "BED-TIME", "IN A DREAM-SHIP".
* **自然與人生感悟:** "IN AN OLD GARDEN", "DAFFODILS", "THE BLACKBIRD", "AUTUMN", "BY THE SEA