Daphne her name, and Peneus was her sire. Swell’d with the pride, that new success attends, He sees the stripling, while his bow he bends, And thus insults him: Thou lascivious boy, Are arms like these for children to employ? Know, such atchievements are my proper claim; Due to my vigour, and unerring aim: Resistless are my shafts, and Python ...

Understanding the Context

Daphne was a virginal nymph, the daughter of a Greek river god. In her most famous myth, she was desired by the Olympian god Apollo and was only able to escape his advances by transforming into a laurel tree.