You sought to prove how I could love, And my disdain is my reply. The lion on your old stone gates Is not more cold to you than I.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker rejects another's love with cold indifference, comparing it to a stone lion.
- In plain terms
- I will not love you; my coldness is the answer.
- What can you take from it?
- Indifference can be a rejection.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can indifference hurt more than anger?
- How do you refuse without cruelty?
Another view
It assumes coldness is the only form of refusal.
More from Alfred (Lord) Tennyson
A simple maiden in her flower Is worth a hundred coats-of-arms.
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