Sentence:  [H]e found a palpitating snake, / Bright, and cirque-couchant in a dusky brake. / She was a <WSD>gordian</WSD> shape of dazzling hue, / Vermilion-spotted, golden, green, and blue; [...] 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Twisted; convoluted; tied as a knot.