Each one of them is undoubtedly just as you know them to be; they show off their graceful stature in the gathering, but bow their head the moment you arrive.
This couplet paints a vivid picture of human pretension and how quickly it dissolves before genuine grace. In ordinary company, people love to posture and flaunt their tall, elegant stature—a metaphor for social pride and vanity—yet the very instant you arrive, their bravado vanishes and they bow low. It captures both the quiet hypocrisy of the crowd and the effortless, humbling aura that the beloved carries.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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