When he came back, I hid my face within my hands. He said…
““When he came back, I hid my face within my hands. He said: "Fear nothing. Who has seen our kiss? --Who saw us? The night and the moon." "And the stars and the first flush of dawn. The moon has seen its visage in the lake, and told it to the water 'neath the willows. The water told it to the rower's oar. "And the oar has told it to the boat, and the boat has passed the secret to the fisher. Alas! alas! if that were only all! But the fisher told the secret to a woman. "The fisher told the secret to a woman: my father and my mother and my sisters, and all of Hellas now shall know the tale.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A lyrical confession of a secret love, traced through nature's witnesses, culminating in its inevitable spread to the world.
In simple terms: Secret love becomes public through natural chain of witnesses.
Key Takeaway
Intimate secrets cannot stay hidden.
Themes
love
secrecy
nature
mythology
fate
Mood
melancholic
romantic
mysterious
Type
poetic
mythic
narrative
When to use this quote
- confessing love
- receiving a warning
- nature as witness
- rumor spreading
- family revelation
Key Concepts
symbolism
narrative cascade
human vulnerability
Practical Applications
- poetic storytelling
- exploring consequences of secrecy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the natural world symbolize in revealing hidden truths?
- How does the progression from private to public affect the characters?