And with light lips yet full of their swift smile, And…
““And with light lips yet full of their swift smile, And hands that wist not though they dug a grave, Undid the hasps of gold, and drank, and gave, And he drank after, a deep glad kingly draught: And all their life changed in them, for they quaffed Death; if it be death so to drink, and fare As men who change and are what these twain were. And shuddering with eyes full of fear and fire And heart-stung with a serpentine desire He turned and saw the terror in her eyes That yearned upon him shining in such wise As a star midway in the midnight fixed. Their Galahault was the cup, and she that mixed; Nor other hand there needed, nor sweet speech To lure their lips together; each on each Hung with strange eyes and hovered as a bird Wounded, and each mouth trembled for a world; Their heads neared, and their hands were drawn in one, And they saw dark, though still the unsunken sun Far through fine rain shot fire into the south; And their four lips became one burning mouth.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A vivid, gothic description of a deadly drink that unites lovers in a shared, terrifying experience, merging love and death
In simple terms: A poisonous drink binds lovers in a deadly, ecstatic union
Key Takeaway
Recognize the allure and danger of fatal passions
Themes
love
death
danger
passion
Mood
dark
intense
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- literary analysis
- creative writing
- psychology of attraction
- artistic inspiration
Key Concepts
gothic romance
symbolic consumption
dualism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the drink symbolize for the lovers?
- How does danger intensify intimacy?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing death can glorify self‑destructive behavior