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I have nothing more to give you than my heart. Spanish saying Hearts are not to be had as a gift hearts are to be earned.
William Butler Yeats
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True love and affection cannot be freely given; they must be earned over time through trust and commitment.

This quote emphasizes the value of heartfelt connections in relationships. It suggests that while one can offer love, genuine affection is something that needs to be nurtured and earned through mutual respect and effort, rather than simply being given away without consideration.

Themes

LoveHeartRelationshipsTrustCommitment

In practice

Example use cases

During a wedding toast to emphasize the importance of working on relationships.

More from William Butler Yeats

If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
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It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
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But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
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For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
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Love is created and preserved by intellectual analysis, for we love only that which is unique, and it belongs to contemplation, not to action, for we would not change that which we love.
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