If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
"I love her for her smile-her look-her way
Of speaking gently-for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease oh such a day"-
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
be changed, or change for thee-and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,-
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lost thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
- If thou must love me by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Monday, October 22, 2007
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1 comment:
I like that poem. I kept picturing Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth speaking it. Why hasn't any teacher I've ever had bothered to expose me to this shit? God.
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