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True and false fears let us refrain, Let us love nobly, and live, and add again Years and years unto years, till we attain To write threescore ; this is the second of our reign.
John Donne
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote encourages embracing love and life while overcoming fears, suggesting that true fulfillment comes from living nobly over time.

In this quote, John Donne reflects on the nature of fear and love, proposing that by letting go of false fears, we can live our lives fully and nobly. He suggests that as we love and live courageously, we can extend our life experiences meaningfully, symbolized by the idea of 'writing threescore', which signifies reaching a significant point in life with wisdom and purpose.

Themes

FearLoveLifeNobilityExperienceWisdom

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.

More from John Donne

Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
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Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right, By these we reach divinity
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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?
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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.
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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.
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