See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
2007-12-17 01:03:55 · 7 answers · asked by me =] 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
It is from the balcony scene in Romeo & Juliet. Romeo is in Juliet's garden and sees her appear on her second floor balcony. He has fallen in love with Juliet and longs to touch her, as he says, on the cheek. Romeo is no slouch in the love department, however. Earlier that night, when they first meet at a party, Romeo approaches her thus:
ROMEO
[To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
JULIET
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
ROMEO
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
JULIET
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
ROMEO
O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
JULIET
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
ROMEO
Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.
JULIET
Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
He wastes no time in moving from hands to lips and steals a kiss within a few seconds of first meeting her. We can be certain, then, that touching her cheek was not all he had in mind. Both scenes are very touching, sweet and sensual at the same time. Shakespeare was very, very good.
2007-12-17 01:41:23 · answer #1 · answered by Cajunsan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The speaker in the poem wants to be the glove, so he can touch the girl's cheek.
2007-12-17 01:07:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is from "Romeo and Juliet" where Romeo secretly watches Juliet as she pines for him. His desire to be close to her, and to touch her, causes him to wish that he could just be a glove upon her hand, as she leans her cheek upon it.
2007-12-17 01:12:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The speaker loves the girl, wants to touch her, wants to be the glove touching her.
2007-12-17 01:13:30 · answer #4 · answered by spockezri 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he wants to be that glove , because he loves her expression, while she is touching her bare hand with cheek and when is he a glove, he would invoke that expression him self and then he.ll be a reason for his girls satisfaction
2007-12-17 01:22:31 · answer #5 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wish that he can be the one she lays her head upon
2007-12-17 01:09:22 · answer #6 · answered by baybi dohl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Change "O that" to "I wish," and all should be clear.
2007-12-17 03:29:36 · answer #7 · answered by aida 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋