Like Time's insidious wrinkle 1
On a beloved Face
We clutch the Grace the tighter
Though we resent the crease
The Frost himself so comely 5
Dishevels every prime
Asserting from his Prism
That none can punish him
On a beloved Face
We clutch the Grace the tighter
Though we resent the crease
The Frost himself so comely 5
Dishevels every prime
Asserting from his Prism
That none can punish him
(F.1264/J.1236)
[1] insidious:: sly, treacherous. wrinkle:: trick, wily device.
[2] beloved Face:: face of a teacher.
[4] crease:: wrinkles on his face.
[5] Frost:: white hair.
[6] prime:: a symbol like an apostrophy, a mark to denote a difference. Dishevels, prime:: the old man messing around all the prime marks.
[7] Prism:: a very thick lens, indicating that the old man is heavy nearsighted.
[8] punish:: for the old man's misreading. him:: most likely a math teacher, who needs to use prime mark often.
In such case, the second quantity is represented by the same letter, with a small mark over it. Thus, if the first quantity was denoted by a, the second would be denoted by a', and is read, a prime. If there were a third, it would be denoted by a", and read, a second, &c. ─ Elements of Algebra (1848) by Charles Davies