Narrative and Lyric Poems (Second Series) for Use in the Lower School
General
Narrative and Lyric Poems (Second Series) for Use in the Lower School
English poetry
74. =Suli.= A mountainous district inhabited by a mixed Greek and
Albanian people.
=Parga.= A fortified town on the coast of Albania.
76. =Doric mothers.= Spartan mothers. The Spartans belonged to the
Dorian race.
78. =Heracleidan blood.= The descendants of Heracles (Hercules).
=might own.= Might not be ashamed of. Supply _that_ or _which_ at the
beginning of the line.
79. =the Franks.= The French.
80. Louis XVIII was at this time king of France. Perhaps Byron is
referring to Napoleon, who entered into alliance with the Turks.
89. =mine own.= Mine own eyes.
91. =Sunium.= The southern promontory of Attica.
=marbled steep.= The temple of Athena stood on this promontory.
94. =swan-like.= See Morte D’Arthur, line 267, and note.
* * * * *
AS SHIPS, BECALMED AT EVE.
1. =As.= The word _so_ in line 9 is correlative with _as_, introducing
the other member in the comparison.
=ships.= Subject of _are descried_.
3. =towers of sail.= Filled with the breeze, which has sprung up in the
night. This line forms a predicate completion of _are descried_ (line
4).
6. =darkling.= Dark, a poetical form.
7. =but.= Except, that—not. Did not dream but that, each, etc.
9. =E’en so.= Just in the same way differences in opinion arise between
friends.
13. Unknown to each other, both came under different influences that
changed the course of their opinions and beliefs.
16. =dawn.= When their beliefs were made known.
17. =To veer, how vain.= When people have drifted apart in their points
of view it is vain for them to try to change their course to come
together again.
19. =one compass.= Conscience.
22. =parting.= Nominative absolute.
25-6. Both were searching for truth.
27-8. Clough hopes that wherever the course of events may carry the
human race, sometime, somewhere, all differences in thought may be
reconciled.
* * * * *
THE CHAMBERED NAUTILUS.
1-7. The nautilus is a species of shell-fish. The shell is spiral, and
is divided into chambers or cavities. The animal occupies only the outer
cavity. The others are filled with gas. The belief once existed that the
nautilus was furnished with a membrane which served as a sail. The root
meaning of the word _nautilus_ is “a ship.” This old belief is, however,
only a poetic fancy. The nautilus creeps along the bottom of the sea,
and does not come to the surface to swim or sail.
5. =the Siren.= The Sirens were sea-nymphs, who by their entrancing
music fascinated those who sailed along their shores, and drew them on
to their destruction.
13. The shell is broken so that the separate cells are seen.
14. =irised ceiling.= The walls of the cell, tinted like the rainbow.
=crypt.= A crypt is an underground vault used for burial purposes. Here
the enclosed chamber in the shell of the nautilus.
20. =idle.= Unused.
24. =forlorn.= Forsaken, solitary.
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