Imperfectly beheld－1
The Lady dare not lift her Veil
For fear it be dispelled－
But peers beyond her mesh－4
And wishes－and denies－
Lest Interview－annul a want
That Image－satisfies－
The Lady dare not lift her Veil
For fear it be dispelled－
But peers beyond her mesh－4
And wishes－and denies－
Lest Interview－annul a want
That Image－satisfies－
(F.430/J.421)
[1] Charm:: a spell, magical drawing. This line describes both a lady-bug and a lady's face.
[3] Lady:: a hint on a lady-bug.
[4] it:: a lady-bug that lands on the veil of a lady. dispelled:: driven away (if the lady lifts her veil).
[6] wishes:: a tradition of exchanging a wish by freeing a lady-bug. wishes and denies:: the lady cannot make up her mind.
[7] Interview annul a want:: if someone sees the lady's face, his want may be gone.
[8] Image satisfies:: the image of the lady-bug's spots meets the condition of the lady's face (to annul a want), the reason for her to wear a veil.
ED in her letter (235) wrote: "I've got more freckles, since you saw me."
Their common names are Lady-bug, Lady-cow, Lady-bird. There are many different species in this family, varying in their size and color. Some are of a dark or black color, with yellow or red spots; others have have a yellow or red ground with black spots. ─ The Cultivator (1858)