The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott

Did you ever wonder why some books are just sitting around waiting for someone to read?  I love book and even though we have the ability to read them on our tablet, computer, phone or some other electronic devise, pages turned by my finger always seems more fun.   I have a book that I bought at a second hand store in 2013 by Walter Scott called The Lady of the Lake.   It is pretty cool that we have a drawn figure on the book.  Keeping books in good shape can be difficult with children but it does give more character to the surface.

His name has a Sir in front of it so now he is called Sir Walter Scott from Edinburgh, Scottland.  Born August 15th 1771 and died in Roxburgh, Scottland, September, 21st, 1832. (1)

Canto Second

The Island

XXXI

There are who have, at midnight hour,
In slumber scaled a dizzy tower, 
And, on the verge that beetled o'er
The ocean Tide's incessant roar            695
Dreamed calmly out their dangerous dream,
Till wakened by the morning beam;
When, dazzled by the eastern glow,
Such startler cast his glance below,
And saw unmeasured depth around,      700
And heard unintermitted sound,
And thoughtthe battled fence so frail,
It waved like cobweb in the gale;
Admid his senses' giddy wheel,
Did he not desperate impulse feel,         705
Headlong to plunge himself below,
And meet the worst his fears foreshow?
Thus Ellen, dizzy and astound,
As sudden ruin yawned around,
By crossing terrors wildly tossed,          710
Still for the Douglas fearing most,
Could scarce the desperate thought withstand,
To buy his safety with her hand.

Sir Walter began writing this in August 1809 while on holiday with his family.  He was in Trossachs by the shores and islands of Loch Katrine. (2)

The poem was the struggles between King James V and the powerful Douglas clan.  This struggle began because of the banishment from his realm they received from the King.  

My thoughts on this part of the poem talks about the love affair between the James of Douglas's daughter Ellen and Malcolm Graeme.  In the full canto of the island you can see the blossoming of their love.    For Ellen is in the Dru castle tower.  Malcolm thinks of her while she sleeps and all the misery on the outside yet calmly she sleeps until the morning eastern glow.  She would only hear small sounds of him with the thought that he must go.  He feels like he went into her heart, as she did in his, too fast and their fears of having problems with the clan chief Rodrick Dru.  Still he had faith that their love will see them through.  No matter how desperate the situation was, he felt fortunate knowing that when they are hand in hand he felt safe.

This is totally different from what many think it is.  This is not part of the King Aurther Ledgend.  Nevertheless it still is beautiful and powerful to read.

1. Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet. (2015). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Sir-Walter-Scott-1st-Baronet
2. Walter Scott 

walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk