All Kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honors, beauties, wits The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass, Is elder by a year, now, than it was When thou and I first one another saw: All other things, to their destruction draw, Only our love hath no decay; This, no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday, Running, it never runs from us away, But truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- All earthly things decay over time but true love remains unchanged and eternal.
- In plain terms
- Everything ages and fades except lasting love.
- What can you take from it?
- Love can outlast the aging of everything else.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can love really stay the same forever?
- How do you measure lasting love?
Another view
It presents an idealized view that contradicts how relationships often change.
More from John Donne
'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be? O wilt thou therefore rise from me? Why should we rise, because 'tis light? Did we lie down, because 'twas night? Love …
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