The poem describes a beautiful evening by the sea as the sun is setting. In the first eight lines (octave), the speaker notes the calm and quiet atmosphere, likening it to a nun in prayer. He hears the sounds of the sea which remind him of thunder. In the last six lines (sestet), the speaker addresses his daughter as they walk together. He says though she may seem carefree, her soul is still divine because she is constantly in God's presence, even if unaware, just as one is in God's presence when in nature.