'Coyle' is an obsolete spelling of a now obsolete usage of
            the word 'coil'! In the 16th century, it was a colloquial expression, which fell into
            literary usage. It means 'confusion', 'din', 'disturbance' or even 'turmoil'; 'to keep a
            coil' means to make a disturbance.
The jailer's daughter is
            speaking of her love for Palamon, and so uses the term metaphorically, to mean the
            turmoil that her feelings create in her heart. It is something over which she has no
            control, hence she says 'what a coyle he kepes' - making him the active
            agent.
 
No comments:
Post a Comment