המתת השור

poet's beloved friend. Another much-quoted phrase from the poem is "nature, red in tooth and claw," found in Canto 56, referring to humanity:

Who trusted God was love indeedAnd love Creation's final lawTho' Nature, red in tooth and clawWith ravine, shriek'd against his creed

Also, the following are found in Canto 54

So runs my dream, but what am I?An infant crying in the nightAn infant crying for the lightAnd with no language but a cry.