Original artwork, not a still
'Lamia' · 1820
She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue, Vermilion-spotted, golden, green, and blue; Striped like a zebra, freckled like a pard, Eyed like a peacock, and all crimson barred.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker heaps up comparisons to show a figure whose body is a knotted coil of blazing colour: spotted red, gold, green and blue, striped like a zebra, freckled like a leopard, and marked with peacock eyes. The piled-up list makes her seem both splendid and bewildering.
Context reviewed
