On a windy hill, a couple dances through the night, swept up in an almost overwhelming passion. The speaker sees his beloved’s dress as a dark, tumbling cloud flecked with starlight. He is so overcome by the force of love that he feels exposed and unable to move, while she continues whirling; his heart stands still even as she dances on. The mood is dreamlike, sensual, and touched with danger. When morning creeps in, the tone shifts from ecstasy to tender exhaustion. He notices her trembling body, the traces of tears on her tired limbs, her heavy breathing, and the slow, languid movement of her dark arms. He pulls her close, and they sink down together on the hill and sleep. The ending feels intimate and spent, as if the night has finally released them.
The Dance of Love — Summary
All night we danced upon our windy hill, Your dress a cloud of tangled midnight hair, And love was much too much for me to wear My leaves; the killer roared above his kill, But you danced on, and when some star would spill Its red and white upon you whirling there, I sensed a hidden beauty in the air; Though you danced on, my heart and I stood still.
But suddenly a bit of morning crept Along your trembling sides of ebony; I saw the tears your tired limbs had wept, And how your breasts heaved high, how languidly Your dark arms moved; I drew you close to me; We flung ourselves upon our hill and slept.