Proteus is a sea god in Greek mythology.The speaker elaborates on those potential "glimpses." He says he might see Proteus coming out of the ocean or Triton blowing his horn.Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn. And this isn't even guaranteed he says he "might" have "glimpses.".The speaker wants "glimpses" of something, but we don't know what he suggests that if he were a pagan he would only see things in snatches, for a brief moment, in the blink of an eye.Wait a second, wasn't the speaker just telling us about "this sea"? How did we get to the meadow? Maybe he's standing in a meadow overlooking the sea. A "lea" is a meadow or open-grassland.If he were, then he could look at the land in front of him and see something that wouldn't make him feel so lonely and sad ("forlorn"). The speaker explains why he would rather be a pagan.So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn "Suckled" just means "nursed at a breast" or "nourished.".Wait a second, he'd rather be a pagan than what? Than someone who isn't moved by nature? Seems like it.To wish to be a pagan in 1807 – when the poem was published – would be like saying, "I wish I could wear clothes or do things that were in fashion a thousand years ago.".He appeals to the Christian God (the capitalization means he has a specific, monotheistic deity in mind) and says he'd rather be a pagan who was raised believing in some antiquated ("outworn"), primitive religion ("creed").While the speaker reiterates the claim he's been making all along – humanity and nature are alienated from one another – he also tells us how he wishes things were, at least for him, personally.In some sonnets, including this one, important things happen in the ninth line there is a shift or "turn" that moves the poem in another direction.– Great God! I'd rather be A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn
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