Idle mail: Useless, ineffectual protection. This figure carries
James Russell Lowell
us back to the "gilded mail," line 131, in which Sir Launfal "flashed
forth" at the beginning of his quest. The poem is full of these minor
antitheses, which should be traced by the student.
264-272. He sees, etc.: This description is not only beautiful in
itself, but it serves an important purpose in the plan of the poem. It
is a kind of condensation or symbolic expression of Sir Launfal's many
years of wandering in oriental lands. The hint or brief outline is
given, which must be expanded by the imagination of the reader.
Otherwise the story would be inconsistent and incomplete. Notice how
deftly the picture is introduced.