There is a willow grows aslant the brook that shows his…
““There is a willow grows aslant the brook that shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream; therewith fantastic garlands did she make of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples that the liberal shepherds give a grosser name, but our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them. There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke; when down her weedy trophies and herself fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide and, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up; which time she chanted snatches of old lauds, as one incapable of her own distress, or like a creature native and indued unto that element; but long it could not be till that her garments, heavy with their drink, pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay to muddy death.””
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, tragic tale of a willow‑like maiden whose ornate garlands and flowing garments lead her to a watery death, illustrating beauty, vanity, and the peril of excess.
In simple terms: A beautiful woman’s ornate dress and vanity cause her downfall in a river.
Key Takeaway
Beware letting vanity and excess lead to ruin.
Themes
tragedy
nature
vanity
Mood
melancholic
poetic
Type
mythic
tragic
When to use this quote
- theatrical performance
- literary analysis
- creative writing
- artistic inspiration
Key Concepts
symbolism
mortality
mythic imagery
Questions to Reflect On
- How does beauty become a fatal trap?
- What does the river symbolize?
A Different Perspective
The ornate description may romanticize fatal outcomes.