Soon the shroud shall lap thee fast, and the sleep be on thee cast that shall ne'er know waking

Soon the shroud shall lap thee fast, and the sleep be on thee cast that shall ne'er know waking

The quote “Soon the shroud shall lap thee fast, and the sleep be on thee cast that shall ne'er know waking” is a haunting and foreboding line from Sir Walter Scott’s poem “The Lay of the Last Minstrel.” This line speaks to the inevitability of death and the finality of the sleep that comes with it.

Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, and historian who is considered one of the greatest literary figures of the Romantic era. His works often explore themes of heroism, chivalry, and the supernatural, and “The Lay of the Last Minstrel” is no exception. In this epic poem, Scott tells the story of a minstrel who recounts the tale of a border feud between two rival clans in the Scottish Borders.

The quote in question is spoken by the minstrel as he warns of the impending doom that awaits the characters in the poem. The imagery of a shroud lapping fast and sleep casting its eternal spell conveys a sense of finality and inevitability. Death is portrayed as a relentless force that will eventually claim all living beings, no matter how powerful or heroic they may be.