Are ye, two vultures sick for battle, Two scorpions under one wet stone, Two bloodless wolves whose dry throats rattle, Two crows perched on the murrained cattle, Two vipers tangled into one.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Shelley uses violent animal imagery to describe two people in conflict. He depicts them as dangerous creatures trapped together.
- In plain terms
- Two enemies are compared to sick vultures and tangled vipers under one stone.
- What can you take from it?
- Use vivid imagery to describe internal or external conflict.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What do these animals represent?
- How does imagery convey emotion?
Another view
The imagery is abstract without specific context about the subjects.
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