Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
John DonneRead
Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right, By these we reach divinity
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that reason and faith are both essential for spiritual and intellectual growth.
In this quote, John Donne emphasizes the duality of human understanding through reason and faith. He suggests that while reason (symbolized as the left hand) allows us to engage with the world logically, faith (the right hand) provides a spiritual direction. Together, they guide us towards a higher understanding or divinity, highlighting the importance of balancing intellect with belief in our journey through life.
Themes
ReasonFaithDivinitySpiritualityUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about balancing logic and belief.
More from John Donne
All quotes βAll occasions invite His mercies, and all times are His seasons.
John DonneRead
If poisonous minerals, and if that tree, Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us, If lecherous goats, if serpents envious Cannot be damned; alas; why should I be?
John DonneRead
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John DonneRead
I call not that virginity a virtue, which resideth onely in the bodies integrity; much less if it be with a purpose of perpetually keeping it: for then it is a most inhumane vice. - But I call that Virginity a virtue which is willing and desirous to yield it self upon honest and lawfull terms, when just reason requireth; and until then, is kept with a modest chastity of body and mind.
John DonneRead
And now good morrow to our waking souls, Which watch not one another out of fear; For love, all love of other sights controls, And makes one little room, an everywhere. Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown, Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.
John DonneRead
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