Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
John DonneRead
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.
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
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
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