--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Merchant, to Secure His Treasure The…" description: "\"The Merchant, to Secure His Treasure The merchant, to secure his treasure, Conveys it in a borrowed name: Euphelia serves to grace my measure, But Cloe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/edgar-allan-poe-315_borrowed_the-merchant-to-secure-his-treasure-the_1794387.jpg" --- # The Merchant, to Secure His Treasure The merchant, to… ![“The Merchant, to Secure His Treasure The merchant, to secure his treasure, Conveys it in a borrowed name: Euphelia serves to grace my measure, But Cloe is my real flame. My softest verse, my darling lyre Upon Euphelia's toilet lay - When Cloe noted her desire That I should sing, that I should…” quote by Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/edgar-allan-poe-315_borrowed_the-merchant-to-secure-his-treasure-the_1794387.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/edgar-allan-poe-315_borrowed_the-merchant-to-secure-his-treasure-the_1794387.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/edgar-allan-poe-315_borrowed_the-merchant-to-secure-his-treasure-the_1794387.jpg) > “The Merchant, to Secure His Treasure The merchant, to secure his treasure, Conveys it in a borrowed name: Euphelia serves to grace my measure, But Cloe is my real flame. My softest verse, my darling lyre Upon Euphelia's toilet lay - When Cloe noted her desire That I should sing, that I should play. My lyre I tune, my voice I raise, But with my numbers mix my sighs; And whilst I sing Euphelia's praise, I fix my soul on Cloe's eyes. Fair Cloe blushed; Euphelia frowned: I sung, and gazed; I played, and trembled: And Venus to the Loves around Remarked how ill we all dissembled.” [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker uses two women as metaphors for artistic inspiration and hidden desire, contrasting public praise with private love. **In simple terms:** Two muses represent public acclaim and secret passion. Key Takeaway Recognize the difference between outward success and inner longing. Themes art love duality identity performance Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic literary When to use this quote - writing poetry - creative expression - romantic relationships - artistic performance Key Concepts metaphor dualism self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does each muse symbolize for you? - How do you balance public image with private desire? A Different Perspective Public admiration may mask true feelings, leading to inner conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure/) [Venus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venus/) [Verses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verses/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [Books were always important. I have to thank my father, he filled my life with books. He didn't write but he always read. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/books-were-always-important-i-have-to-thank-my-father-he-filled-my/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) > [A good part of why I never went back to England was part of that, I didn't want to be in those sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/a-good-part-of-why-i-never-went-back-to-england-was-part-of-that-i/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [No matter who reigns, the merchant reigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/no-matter-who-reigns-the-merchant-reigns/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The ruin of the human heart is self-interest, which the American merchant calls self-service. We have become a self-service populace, and all our specious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dahlberg/the-ruin-of-the-human-heart-is-self-interest-which-the-american/) [Edward Dahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dahlberg/) > [In the infancy of civilization, when our island was as savage as New Guinea, when letters and arts were still unknown to Athens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-the-infancy-of-civilization-when-our-island-was-as-savage-as-new/) [Thomas B. 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But wine merchant you do this invariably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-campion/a-prudent-pharmacist-often-vends-something-for-your-complaint-but/) [Thomas Campion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-campion/) > [ I cursed \[Larry Merchant\] out once, and I told him that he was a phony. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-holmes/i-cursed-larry-merchant-out-once-and-i-told-him-that-he-was-a-phony/) [Larry Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-holmes/) > [There is no art or science that is too difficult for industry to attain to; it is the gift of tongues, and makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/there-is-no-art-or-science-that-is-too-difficult-for-industry-to/) [Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/) > [It isn't what a man's got in the bank, but what he's got in his head, that makes him a great merchant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/it-isn-t-what-a-man-s-got-in-the-bank-but-what-he-s-got-in-his-head/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) > [All that glitters is not gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Edgar Allan Poe > [“From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/from-childhood-s-hour-i-have-not-been-as-others-were-i-have-not-seen/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [There is no passion in nature so demoniacally impatient, as that of him who, shuddering upon the edge of a precipice, thus meditates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/there-is-no-passion-in-nature-so-demoniacally-impatient-as-that-of/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/to-vilify-a-great-man-is-the-readiest-way-in-which-a-little-man-can/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. 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Ours is but a flame borrowed thence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/true-beauty-lives-on-high-ours-is-but-a-flame-borrowed-thence/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) Browse all 343 Borrowed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Merchant, to Secure His Treasure The merchant, to secure his treasure, Conveys it in a borrowed name: Euphelia serves to grace my measure, But Cloe is my real flame. My softest verse, my darling lyre Upon Euphelia's toilet lay - When Cloe noted her desire That I should sing, that I should play. My lyre I tune, my voice I raise, But with my numbers mix my sighs; And whilst I sing Euphelia's praise, I fix my soul on Cloe's eyes. 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