She [Beatrice] alone was still real for him, still implied meaning in the world, and beauty. Her nature became his landmark - what Melville would call, with more sobriety than we can now muster, his Greenwich Standard ...

Summary

In this quote, the speaker is praising Beatrice for being the only person who had a profound impact on their life and who still represented genuineness, significance, and beauty. Beatrice is portrayed as a constant reference point, similar to how Greenwich is used as a standard for time measurement. The speaker suggests that Beatrice's nature and presence provide a sense of stability and meaning in an otherwise chaotic world. The mention of Melville reflects the idea that Beatrice serves as a guiding force and sets the measure for the speaker's understanding and perception of reality.

Topics