Merry Quote by William Shakespeare
““When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, To-whit! To-who!—a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doe blow, And coughing drowns the parson's saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marian's nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, To-whit! To-who!—a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.””
About This Quote
Source Play: The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2, 1611
A vivid, chaotic tableau of winter hardships and rustic life, juxtaposing harsh conditions with a recurring, oddly cheerful owl song.
In simple terms: Winter hardships are described with vivid, chaotic.
Key Takeaway
Recognize resilience in harsh seasons.
Themes
hardship
nature
rural life
resilience
humor
Mood
melancholic
playful
reflective
Type
literary
folklore
descriptive
When to use this quote
- farm work
- cold weather coping
- community gatherings
- food preservation
- folk storytelling
Key Concepts
surrealism
folk tradition
seasonal cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- How does humor help endure hardship?
- What does the owl symbolize?
A Different Perspective
The whimsical owl may trivialize serious suffering, risking insensitivity.
