▁the ▁short - story , ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁D any ers ▁sees ▁a ▁woman ▁and ▁adm its ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁liked ▁to ▁recognize ▁Mrs . ▁An erton ▁in ▁her . ▁He ▁then ▁goes ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁his ▁connection ▁with ▁An erton , ▁fost ered ▁through ▁R end le ’ s ▁poetry ▁which ▁celebrated ▁Syl via , ▁who ▁is ▁commonly ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁Mrs . ▁An erton . ▁He ▁meets ▁the ▁real ▁Mary ▁An erton ▁after ▁an ▁acquaint ance ▁of ▁his , ▁Mrs . ▁Mem or all , ▁tells ▁him ▁about ▁her . ▁ ▁The ▁importance ▁of ▁poetry ▁is ▁revealed ▁in ▁D any ers ' ▁growth , ▁in ▁an ▁an ale ps is , ▁that ▁brings ▁the ▁reader ▁to ▁D any ers ’ ▁days ▁in ▁Harvard . ▁Mrs . ▁An erton ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁muse ▁of ▁the ▁poet , ▁R end le , ▁and ▁she ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁his ▁work . ▁Mrs . ▁Mem or all ▁told ▁him ▁that ▁Mrs . ▁An erton ▁had ▁stepped ▁out ▁of ▁social ▁life ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁her ▁husband . ▁When ▁Mrs . ▁Mem or all ▁passes ▁his ▁work ▁on ▁to ▁Mrs . ▁An erton , ▁the ▁first ▁step ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁new ▁relationship ▁is ▁made . ▁ ▁As ▁they ▁spend ▁several ▁weeks ▁together ▁at ▁the ▁Villa ▁d ’ E ste , ▁D any ers ▁and ▁Mrs . ▁An erton ▁get ▁to ▁know ▁one ▁another ▁better ▁especially ▁by ▁talking ▁about ▁R end le ▁and ▁his ▁po ems . ▁D any