How does Donne strikingly convey ideas about love in Lovers' Infiniteness? Lovers' Infiniteness If yet I have not all thy love, Dear, I shall never have it all, I cannot breathe one other sigh, to move, Nor can entreat one other tear to fall. All my treasure, which should purchase thee, Sighs, tears, and oaths, and letters I have spent, Yet no more can be due to me, Than at the bargain made was meant. If then thy gift of love were partial, That some to me, some should to others fall, Dear, I shall never have thee all. Or if then thou gavest me all, All was but all, which thou hadst then; But if in thy heart, since, there be or shall New love created be, by other men, Which have their stocks entire, and can in tears, In sighs, in oaths, and letters outbid me, This new love may beget new fears, For, this love was not vowed by thee. And yet it was, thy gift being general, The ground, thy heart is mine; whatever shall Grow there, dear, I should have it all. Yet I would not have all yet, He that hath all can have no more, And since my love doth every day admit New growth, thou shouldst have new rewards in store; Thou canst not every day give me thy heart, If thou canst give it, then thou never gav'st it: Love's riddles are, that though thy heart depart, It stays at home, and thou with losing sav'st it: But we will have a way more liberal, Than changing hearts, to join them, so we shall Be one, and one another's all. (John Donne)
- How does Donne strikingly convey ideas about love in Lovers' Infiniteness?[25]
Mark scheme
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- [AO3] recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language, structure, and form to create and shape meanings and effects
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