Some asked how pearls did grow, and where? Then spoke I to my girl To part her lips, and showed them there The quarelets of pearl.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker shows his girl how pearls are formed inside her lips, comparing them to quarrels.
- In plain terms
- He compares her lips to the place where pearls grow.
- What can you take from it?
- Beauty can be found in unexpected places like a lover's smile.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What natural forms resemble human features?
- How do we find beauty in conflict?
Another view
The comparison between lips and pearl formation is abstract and open to interpretation.
More from Robert Herrick
Some asked me where the rubies grew, And nothing I did say; But with my finger pointed to The lips of Julia.
Permalink to quote #9 Fall on me like a silent dew, Or like those maiden showers Which, by the peep of day, do strew A baptism o'er the flowers.
Permalink to quote #11 It is the end that crowns us, not the fight.
Permalink to quote #8
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