# Beneath the Salvias explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ameen Rihani.

## What happens

The speaker describes a hidden, sacred resting place beneath salvias where their heart lies buried, asking a beloved not to disturb their sleep or dreams. They seek solace and strength in this secluded spot, away from the world's seasons and celestial bodies, to dream of the beloved.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

The speaker's heart is hidden and buried, expressing a deep longing and desire to remain dreaming of the beloved, intertwined with loss and separation.

### Nature and Mortality

The salvias, sod, and seasonal imagery (Spring birds, Winter's crew) frame the speaker's burial and yearning for rest, blending natural cycles with death and rebirth.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The speaker who hides their heart beneath the salvias and pleads to be left dreaming of the beloved.

### Beauty

Implied as the 'lady' or beloved addressed in the poem, the object of the speaker's dream and desire.

## Key lines

> Beneath the salvias, where some angel slew / The favors that were granted by his god, / My heart is hidden; let thy feet be shod / With feathers plucked from my wings of crimson hue.

Under the salvias, where an angel destroyed the blessings given by his god, my heart is concealed; may you walk softly with shoes made from feathers taken from my crimson wings.

_The speaker reveals the hidden location of their heart and asks the beloved to tread gently, using imagery of sacrifice and personal offering._

> Here let me sleep, my lady: wake me not; / Here let me gather, hidden from the moon / And the sun, the strength to rise again and see;

Allow me to rest here, my lady, without waking; let me gather strength in secret, away from moon and sun, so I may rise again and see.

_The speaker pleads for undisturbed sleep in this hidden place to regain vitality, avoiding celestial observation._

> No sweeter, dearer, more enchanting spot / Is there for my sick heart; O, not so soon— / Awake me not—O, let me dream of thee.

There is no place more sweet, precious, or magical for my ailing heart; please do not wake me too soon—let me continue dreaming of you.

_The speaker declares this spot the most healing for their heart and begs to remain in a dream of the beloved._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se/chapters/beneath-the-salvias
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se/chapters