Read the poem.
excerpt from I. The Initial Love in "Initial, Daemonic and Celestial Love" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that true transcendence was rooted in nature and the liberation of the spirit from the laws of man and the church. In his three-part poem, each segment represents the forces that either liberate or imprison the human spirit.
Venus, when her son was lost,
Cried him up and down the coast,
In hamlets, palaces and parks,
And told the truant by his marks,—
Golden curls, and quiver and bow.
This befell how long ago!
Time and tide are strangely changed,
Men and manners much deranged:
None will now find Cupid latent
By this foolish antique patent.
He came late along the waste,
Shod like a traveller for haste;
With malice dared me to proclaim him,
That the maids and boys might name him.
Boy no more, he wears all coats,
Frocks and blouses, capes, capotes;
He bears no bow, or quiver, or wand,
Nor chaplet on his head or hand.
Leave his weeds and heed his eyes,—
All the rest he can disguise.…
What is the connotative meaning of "wears all coats" in this line from the poem?
Boy no more, he wears all coats,
Cupid can appear in many forms.
Cupid is easily recognized.
Cupid's appearance has changed with age.
Cupid's behavior has changed over time.
