Twice or thrice had I loved thee, Before I knew thy face…
““Twice or thrice had I loved thee, Before I knew thy face or name; So in a voice, so in a shapeless flame, Angels affect us oft, and worshipped be; Still when, to where thou wert, I came, Some lovely glorius nothing I did see, But since my soul, whose child love is, Takes limbs of flesh, and else could nothing do, More subtle than a parent is Love must not be, but take a body too, And therefore what thou wert, and who I bid love ask, and now That it assume thy body, I allow, And fix itself in thy lip, eye, and brow.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker describes love that begins without physical knowledge, then becomes embodied, insisting love must take a physical form to be true.
In simple terms: Love starts abstract, then needs a body.
Key Takeaway
Embrace love fully, not just in idea.
Themes
love
spirituality
embodiment
desire
Mood
reflective
poetic
Type
literary
romantic
When to use this quote
- courtship
- spiritual reflection
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
metaphysics
theology
human experience
Questions to Reflect On
- Can love exist without physical expression?
- How does embodiment change love?
A Different Perspective
Love's physical demands can limit pure affection.