Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
John DonneRead
I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I Did, till we loved? were we not weaned till then? But sucked on country pleasures, childishly? Or snorted we in the seven sleepers' den?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the nature of love and suggests a sense of wonder about life before love.
In this quote, John Donne explores the transformative power of love by questioning what life was like before experiencing such deep feelings. He invokes a sense of nostalgia and curiosity about their existence before love, suggesting that their prior experiences may have been trivial or immature compared to the profound connection they now share.
Themes
LoveWonderTransformationNostalgiaConnection
In practice
Example use cases
During a wedding toast, one could use this quote to highlight the transformative power of love in a couple's life.
More from John Donne
All quotes →Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right, By these we reach divinity
John DonneRead
All 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
Similar quotes
Certain things in life simply have to be experienced -and never explained. Love is such a thing.
Paulo CoelhoRead
The language of my love does not belong to human language, my human body does not touch the flesh of my love.
Paul EluardRead
Another argument, vaguer and even less persuasive, is that gay marriage somehow does harm to heterosexual marriage. I have yet to meet anyone who can explain to me what this means. In what way would allowing same-sex partners to marry diminish the marriages of heterosexual couples?
Ted OlsonRead
She poured out Swann's tea, inquired "Lemon or cream?" and, on his answering "Cream, please," said to him with a laugh: "A cloud!" And as he pronounced it excellent, "You see, I know just how you like it." This tea had indeed seemed to Swann, just as it seemed to her; something precious, and love has such a need to find some justification for itself, some guarantee of duration, in pleasures which without it would have no existence and must cease with its passing.
Marcel ProustRead
How was it that he haunted her imagination so persistently? What could it be? Why did she care for what he thought, in spite of all her pride in spite of herself? She believed that she could have borne the sense of Almighty displeasure, because He knew all, and could read her penitence, and hear her cries for help in time to come. But Mr.Thornton-why did she tremble, and hide her face in the pillow? What strong feeling had overtaking her at last?
Elizabeth GaskellRead
He says, he loves my daughter;_x000D_ _x000D_ I think so too; for never gaz'd the moon_x000D_ _x000D_ Upon the water, as he'll stand and read,_x000D_ _x000D_ As 'twere, my daughter's eyes: and, to be plain,_x000D_ _x000D_ I think, there is not half a kiss to choose,_x000D_ _x000D_ Who loves another best.
William ShakespeareRead