The Arrow
The Arrow - meaning Summary
Sudden Ache of Remembered Beauty
The poem presents a speaker struck by intense admiration for a particular woman. He describes an almost physical ache—an "arrow" born of a sudden thought—piercing his inward self. The woman is depicted as newly come into maturity: tall, noble, and softly coloured. The speaker admires this fresh beauty while mourning the passing of earlier forms, suggesting both gratitude and a wistful sense that something older has gone out of season.
Read Complete AnalysesI thought of your beauty, and this arrow, Made out of a wild thought, is in my marrow. There's no man may look upon her, no man, As when newly grown to be a woman, Tall and noble but with face and bosom Delicate in colour as apple blossom. This beauty's kinder, yet for a reason I could weep that the old is out of season.
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