"And out of darkness came the hands that reach thro' nature, moulding men"

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetic line, “And out of darkness came the hands that reach thro’ nature, moulding men,” deftly weaves together notions of creation, evolution, and the mysterious origins of humanity. The phrase “out of darkness” invokes primordial chaos, the unknowable void that precedes the emergence of order and life. Darkness here is both literal and metaphorical: it suggests the obscurity of human beginnings, the inscrutable depths of history, and perhaps even the latent forces within nature itself, hidden before the dawn of consciousness.

Emerging from this darkness are hands, symbolic agents of shaping, crafting, and design. These hands are not idle; they actively “reach thro’ nature,” implying intentionality and purpose. The hands serve as a metaphor for the invisible processes that drive the progression of life, from the slow geological shaping of the world to the evolutionary mechanisms that determine the form and capacities of living beings. This image acknowledges forces both physical and possibly divine, blending naturalistic and spiritual perspectives. Is nature herself the artist, or do higher powers, embodied by the hands, act through her? Tennyson leaves the question open to interpretation, inviting readers to consider both scientific and mystical possibilities.

The phrase “moulding men” underscores the idea that humanity is the culmination of these shaping processes. Men are “moulded” rather than simply appearing, reinforcing the idea of gradual development, change, and refinement through time. There is an implied continuity: humanity is the consequence of forces layered over eons, literally fashioned by hands that shape all life. The language reflects Victorian fascination with origins, scientific, philosophical, and religious, while also gesturing toward the humility of mankind before the deep, mysterious powers that govern existence. Ultimately, Tennyson’s lines evoke awe before the faceless hands that, hidden in darkness, have shaped humanity out of nature’s raw substance.