The Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is a romantic narrative poem written by Sir Walter Scott and published in 1810. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it explores themes of love, loyalty, and chivalry through the story of noble characters like Roderick Dhu and the exiled Douglas, alongside the titular lady, Ellen. The poem is notable for its vivid nature imagery and emotional depth, reflecting the romantic movement in literature. A revised edition published in 1899 includes an introduction and notes that contextualize Scott's work within literary history.
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“The rose is fairest when 't is budding new,And hope is brightest when it dawns from fears;The rose is sweetest washed with morning dewAnd love is loveliest when embalmed in tears.””
— Walter Scott
“My hope, my heaven, my trust must be,My gentle guide, in following thee.””
— Walter Scott
“so wondrous wild, the whole might seemthe scenery of a fairy dream””
— Walter Scott
“Hail to the Chief who in triumph advances! Honored and blessed be the ever-green Pine!Long may the tree, in his banner that glances, Flourish, the shelter and grace of our line! Heaven send it happy dew, Earth lend it sap anew, Gayly to bourgeon and broadly to grow, While every Highland glen Sends our shout back again, 'Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho! ieroe!””
— Walter Scott
“Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking, Morn of toil nor night of waking.””
— Walter Scott
“Where shall he find, in foreign land,So lone a lake, so sweet a strand!--There is no breeze upon the fern, No ripple on the lake,Upon her eyry nods the erne, The deer has sought the brake;The small birds will not sing aloud, The springing trout lies still,So darkly glooms yon thunder-cloud,That swathes, as with a purple shroud””
— Walter Scott
“Harp of the North, farewell! The hills grow dark, On purple peaks a deeper shade descending;In twilight copse the glow-worm lights her spark, The deer, half seen, are to the covert wending.Resume thy wizard elm! the fountain lending, And the wild breeze, thy wilder minstrelsy;Thy numbers sweet with nature's vespers blending, With distant echo from the fold and lea,And herd-boy's evening pipe, and hum of housing bee.””
— Walter Scott
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Scott, Walter. The Lady of the Lake. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-lady-of-the-lake-99c61d8b-79ba-4cba-b14f-5ab099b30294.Scott, W. (n.d.). The Lady of the Lake. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-lady-of-the-lake-99c61d8b-79ba-4cba-b14f-5ab099b30294Scott, Walter. The Lady of the Lake. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-lady-of-the-lake-99c61d8b-79ba-4cba-b14f-5ab099b30294.























