Ah, Aphrodite, if I sing no more To thee, God's daughter, powerful as God, It is that thou hast made my life too sweet To hold the added sweetness of a song. There is a quiet at the heart of love, And I have pierced the pain and come to peace.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker stops singing to the goddess of love because their life has become so filled with love that no song could add more sweetness. They have found peace after enduring pain.
- In plain terms
- Love has become so sweet that singing about it adds nothing, and the speaker has found peace after pain.
- What can you take from it?
- True love brings a quiet peace that surpasses the need for artistic expression.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why does love silence the singer?
- Is peace the end of art?
Another view
The claim that love makes song unnecessary assumes all art seeks to add sweetness.
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