Tennyson makes it clear that they indulged their passions during this “storm” Here are a couple of other readers taking it this way: Mid-Victorian literary conventions required some delicacy in alluding to sexual activity, so this kind of suggestive imagery is all we would normally expect to find. Your interpretation is a common way to understand this passage. Is this a reasonable interpretation of the passage, or am I missing something? Rather, the imagery seems consistent with Vivien bringing Merlin to sexual climax - the imagery of rushing, coming, and sleeping afterwards. This passage feels like there is much more happening than a simple social engineering attempt in a rainstorm. Had yielded, told her all the charm, and slept. To peace and what should not have been had been, Had left the ravaged woodland yet once more Till now the storm, its burst of passion spent, Her eyes and neck glittering went and came Her God, her Merlin, the one passionate loveīellowed the tempest, and the rotten branchĪbove them and in change of glare and gloom Her seer, her bard, her silver star of eve, Yet save me!" clung to him and hugged him close "O Merlin, though you do not love me, save, Toward the end, we read thus (my emphasis): His idyll " Merlin and Vivien" is a rather in-depth look at how Vivien learns Merlin's magic through some impressive feats of flattery. I am re-reading Tennyson's Idylls of the King after many years.
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