’Tis a pleasure to adore;
Hope, the wretch’s only blessing,
  May, in time, procure me more.Constant courtship may obtain her,
  Where both wealth and merit fail;
And the lucky minute gain her—
  Fate and fancy must prevail.At Diana’s shrine, aloud,
  By the bow and by the quiver,
Thrice she bowed, and thrice she vowed,
  Once to love—and that forever." - Meaning and context.">
"The Answer"
“

Though I never get possession,
  ’Tis a pleasure to adore;
Hope, the wretch’s only blessing,
  May, in time, procure me more.Constant courtship may obtain her,
  Where both wealth and merit fail;
And the lucky minute gain her—
  Fate and fancy must prevail.At Diana’s shrine, aloud,
  By the bow and by the quiver,
Thrice she bowed, and thrice she vowed,
  Once to love—and that forever.

— Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Though I never get possession,
  ’Tis a pleasure to adore;
Hope, the wretch’s only blessing,
  May, in time, procure me more.Constant courtship may obtain her,
  Where both wealth and merit fail;
And the lucky minute gain her—
  Fate and fancy must prevail.At Diana’s shrine, aloud,
  By the bow and by the quiver,
Thrice she bowed, and thrice she vowed,
  Once to love—and that forever." in the context of ""The Answer"" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Lady Mary Wortley Montagu" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

About Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (15 May 1689 – 21 August 1762) was an English aristocrat and writer, chiefly remembered today for her letters.