Pygmalion and the Image

"Pygmalion and the Image" by William Morris is a poem that examines love, art and godly intervention through the old myth of Pygmalion, a gifted sculptor who becomes enchanted with the perfect statue he has made. Stuck on Cyprus, the sculptor grows apart from those around him and becomes consumed by his art, leading him to his masterpiece, a statue of a woman of unmatched beauty. His growing desire for the sculpture to have life leads him to plead with Venus, the goddess of love, eventually leading her to answer his prayers and bring the statue into the real world. The poem tells of Pygmalion's emotional struggles, his commitment to his work, and the satisfaction he ultimately discovers; contrasting his prior isolation with his final joy after his statue comes to life, emphasizing the ideas of desire, completion, and the life changing nature of art when gifted by destiny.