Symbol Analysis
Ah, sweet Lady of Walshingham. Many travel to see her, from all over the world, and pay their respects. In Section VI, we visit the site in England where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to see the statue and the holy grounds. Her section of the poem is the only section of the poem that doesn't take place at sea or contemplating the sea, and it provides and interesting contrast to the other representations of deities we see in the poem; here, the Virgin is small, humble, and knows God's secrets but isn't telling.
- Line 17: The Lady is "too small for her canopy," which is the first description of her appearance. She's small; it's a humble statue, not a big one.
- Lines 118-119: She's not fancy, or even particularly attractive or charming, either. In fact, her face is "expressionless" and sleepy.
- Lines 123-124: This lack of expression, Lowell says, expresses God. It expresses something that humans can't understand or see. This is a different side of the God we've seen in the rest of the poem, but Lowell still wants us to see how little we truly understand.