How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
O Lady! in this wan and heartless mood,
To other thoughts by yonder throstle woo'd,
All this long eve, so balmy and serene, (25-27)
This is the first time we realize that the poem actually has a specific audience. We don't get any more detail than this anonymous "Lady" title, but it nevertheless establishes a romantic undercurrent between the speaker and this person—whoever she might be. *cough*Sara Hutchinson*cough*
Quote #2
And would we aught behold, of higher worth,
Than that inanimate cold world allowed
To the poor loveless ever-anxious crowd, (50-52)
This is some pretty tricky language, but the rough translation is, "It would be great if we were able to see the world as more than a cold and dead place, which is the only perspective available to folks without love in their life." Love is not just a comfort, in other words; it's fundamental to viewing the world as a worthwhile place.
Quote #3
Full seldom may my friend such vigils keep!
Visit her, gentle Sleep! with wings of healing,
And may this storm be but a mountain-birth,
May all the stars hang bright above her dwelling,
Silent as though they watched the sleeping Earth! (127-131)
Section 8 is a mini-love poem to this "Lady." Here, the speaker starts off by hoping that she never has to suffer the same dejection that he has. If she does, he says, he hopes it's just a passing storm, not the full-on depressed state that he's described elsewhere.
Quote #4
With light heart may she rise,
Gay fancy, cheerful eyes.
Joy lift her spirit, joy attune her voice;
To her may all things live, from pole to pole,
Their life the eddying of her living soul! (132-136)
Here the speaker wishes the "Lady" ultimate joy and happiness. While we would like to think that this is a genuine, noble gesture, we can't help but find it a bit pathetic: "Sure, I can't ever be happy now, but I really wish you nothing but the best." Do you see this in the same way, or are we just too cynical and jaded to ever appreciate true love? You can tell us. We can take it.
Quote #5
O simple spirit, guided from above,
Dear Lady! friend devoutest of my choice,
Thus may'st thou ever, evermore rejoice. (137-139)
The key phrase in this passage is "devoutest of my choice." In other words, the "Lady" is the speaker's number one seed. He puts her above everything else. This seems to really drive home the idea that this poem might be one long bid to get her to feel sorry for him.