Tell me not, sweet, I am unkind, That from the nunnery Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind, To war and arms I fly.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker asks their lover not to think they are unkind for leaving them to go to war.
- In plain terms
- Don't be sad that I am leaving you for battle.
- What can you take from it?
- Love and duty can conflict.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you balance love and duty?
- Is absence a form of unkindness?
Another view
It assumes the lover understands the necessity of war.
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