Time has laid his hand
Upon my heart, gently, not smiting it,
But as a harper lays his open palm
Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations." - Meaning and context.">
Pt. IV, The Cloisters.
“

Time has laid his hand
Upon my heart, gently, not smiting it,
But as a harper lays his open palm
Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations.

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Time has laid his hand
Upon my heart, gently, not smiting it,
But as a harper lays his open palm
Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations.
" in the context of "Pt. IV, The Cloisters." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow" (Quotes, The Golden Legend (1851)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

About Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (27 February 1807 – 24 March 1882) was an American poet and one of the five members of the group known as the Fireside Poets.