Poetry · Chapter
XXXVII explained
The basil plant's eyes, though wild, remain bright with love and protect Isabella from phantom fears as it unravels the dark memories of Lorenzo's murder by her brothers, including the forest, the dell, and his fatal stabbing.
What happens
The basil plant's eyes, though wild, remain bright with love and protect Isabella from phantom fears as it unravels the dark memories of Lorenzo's murder by her brothers, including the forest, the dell, and his fatal stabbing.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Loss
The basil plant's eyes are bright with love, protecting Isabel from the memory of Lorenzo's murder.
Sorrow and Melancholy
The chapter dwells on the horrid woof of dark time, murderous spite, and the memory of Lorenzo's fatal stabbing.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Its eyes, though wild, were still all dewy bright With love, and kept all phantom fear aloof From the poor girl by magic of their light, The while it did unthread the horrid woof Of the late darken’d time,—the murderous spite Of pride and avarice,—the dark pine roof In the forest,—and the sodden turfed dell, Where, without any word, from stabs he fell.”
The basil's eyes, though wild, remained bright with love and magically protected Isabella from fear as it unraveled the terrible fabric of recent dark events: the murderous hatred born of pride and greed, the dark pine forest roof, and the wet grassy hollow where Lorenzo was stabbed to death in silence.
The basil plant's protective and revelatory power over Isabella's traumatic memories.