Read the extract

A. These lines are addressed to young Anne Gregory, the granddaughter of Lady Augusta Gregory, a poet.

B. The young men fall in love with Anne because of her honey-gold hair which falls over her ear, covering it with strands. Thus, the men love her outward appearance alone and do not love her for whom she is. They feel despair because she rejects their proposals.

C. Ramparts mean walls surrounding a castle to protect it from outside hair. Here, it refers to the golden strands of Anne's hair that cover her ear completely like a wall.