Romeo and Juliet: What is Friar Lawrence trying to say here?

Question

FRIAR LAWRENCE
The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light,
And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels.
5 Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,
I must upfill this osier cage of ours
With baleful weeds and precious-juicèd flowers.
The earth, that's nature's mother, is her tomb.
10 What is her burying, grave that is her womb.
And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find,
Many for many virtues excellent,
None but for some and yet all different.
15 Oh, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give.
Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use
20 Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.....

Answer 1

It's really not all that complicated. He's up early, and he's harvesting herbs out in the fields. While he does, he muses on the special relationship we have with nature, and how nature rewards us with her bounty.

Answer 2

The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night, Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light
And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels.
5 Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,

The sun is rising.

I must upfill this osier cage of ours
With baleful weeds and precious-juicèd flowers.
The earth, that's nature's mother, is her tomb.
10 What is her burying, grave that is her womb

I must gather herbs and plants to create a "sleeping death" potion.

And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find,
Many for many virtues excellent,
None but for some and yet all different.

The child of earth (plants) will kill a girl.

15 Oh, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give.
Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use
20 Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.....

The power of the plants and death and life is underestimated.

Answer 3

He's muttering to himself and giving the audience an idea of what the setting is for the scene. This also introduces the idea that the friar is good with herbs and potions