--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have been mine before - How long ago…" description: "\"You have been mine before - How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallow's soar, your neck turned so, Some veil did fall, - I knew it all..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg" --- # You have been mine before - How long ago I may not know… ![“You have been mine before - How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallow's soar, your neck turned so, Some veil did fall, - I knew it all of yore.” quote by Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg) > “You have been mine before - How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallow's soar, your neck turned so, Some veil did fall, - I knew it all of yore.” [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lover reflects on a past relationship, recalling its intensity and mystery despite uncertain timing. **In simple terms:** Remembering a past love. Key Takeaway Reflect on past relationships. Themes love memory time reflection Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - creative writing Key Concepts nostalgia poetry emotion Questions to Reflect On - What does the swallow symbolize? - How does memory shape desire? A Different Perspective May idealize the past. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Soulmate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soulmate/) ## Related quotes > [I have been here before, But when or how I cannot tell: I know the grass beyond the door, The sweet keen smell, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/i-have-been-here-before-but-when-or-how-i-cannot-tell-i-know-the/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [“Mrs Ross adjusted her veil but did not put the flask away... 'Why is this happening to us, Davenport? What does it mean -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/mrs-ross-adjusted-her-veil-but-did-not-put-the-flask-away-why-is-this/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [The Quran says nothing about the veil, except for an injunction to veil the bosom, which is obvious. As for the face, Muhammad's wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-quran-says-nothing-about-the-veil-except-for-an-injunction-to/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [For a privileged minority, Western democracy provides the leisure, the facilities, and the training to seek the truth lying hidden behind the veil of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/for-a-privileged-minority-western-democracy-provides-the-leisure-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Sometimes writing has to be forced. In starting out, the shape and timbre and texture of what is to come is an uncertain chimera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/sometimes-writing-has-to-be-forced-in-starting-out-the-shape-and/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [Lift the veil that obscures the heart, and there you will find what you are looking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir/lift-the-veil-that-obscures-the-heart-and-there-you-will-find-what/) [Kabir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir/) > [I am whatever was, or is, or will be; and my veil no mortal ever took up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/i-am-whatever-was-or-is-or-will-be-and-my-veil-no-mortal-ever-took-up/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Living as we do with a veil over our eyes, we cannot remember what it was like to be with our Heavenly Father and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/living-as-we-do-with-a-veil-over-our-eyes-we-cannot-remember-what-it/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Eternity doth wear upon her face the veil of time. They only see the veil, and thus they know not what they stand so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/eternity-doth-wear-upon-her-face-the-veil-of-time-they-only-see-the/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [I LOVE BLACK VEIL BRIDES](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-black-veil-brides/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The veil that clouds your eyes shall be lifted by the hands that wove it, And the clay that fills your ears shall be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/the-veil-that-clouds-your-eyes-shall-be-lifted-by-the-hands-that-wove/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“With the veil removed by the rending of Jesus' flesh, with nothing on God's side to prevent us from entering, why do we tarry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/with-the-veil-removed-by-the-rending-of-jesus-flesh-with-nothing-on/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [Some days, I know beauty techniques like it's my job, and other days I can't do my makeup for the life of me. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-serratos/some-days-i-know-beauty-techniques-like-it-s-my-job-and-other-days-i/) [Christian Serratos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-serratos/) > [“The Ego is a veil between man and God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-mcquillen/the-ego-is-a-veil-between-man-and-god/) [Sienna McQuillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-mcquillen/) > [“The issue here is not whether self-veiling can be avoided, or even should be avoided. Indeed, no finite play is possible without it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-carse/the-issue-here-is-not-whether-self-veiling-can-be-avoided-or-even/) [James P. Carse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-carse/) ## More by Dante Gabriel Rossetti > [“Can peace be gained until I clasp my wombat?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/can-peace-be-gained-until-i-clasp-my-wombat/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Beauty like hers is genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/beauty-like-hers-is-genius/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Tell me now in what hidden way isLady Flora the lovely Roman?Where's Hipparchia, and where is Thais,Neither of them the fairer woman?Where is Echo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/tell-me-now-in-what-hidden-way-islady-flora-the-lovely-roman-where-s/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [I have been here before, But when or how I cannot tell: I know the grass beyond the door, The sweet keen smell, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/i-have-been-here-before-but-when-or-how-i-cannot-tell-i-know-the/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Love, which is quickly kindled in the gentle heart, seized this man for the fair form that was taken from me, the manner still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/love-which-is-quickly-kindled-in-the-gentle-heart-seized-this-man-for/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [It is beautiful, the world, and life itself. I am glad I have lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/it-is-beautiful-the-world-and-life-itself-i-am-glad-i-have-lived/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [“Her enchanted hair was the first gold, and still she sits, young while the earth is old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/her-enchanted-hair-was-the-first-gold-and-still-she-sits-young-while/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [The sea hath no king but God alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/the-sea-hath-no-king-but-god-alone/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Was it a friend or foe that spread these lies; Nay, who but infants question in such wise, twas one of my most intimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/was-it-a-friend-or-foe-that-spread-these-lies-nay-who-but-infants/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [And Love, our light at night and shade at noon,Lulls us to rest with songs, and turns awayAll shafts of shelterless tumultuous day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/and-love-our-light-at-night-and-shade-at-noon-lulls-us-to-rest-with/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Places that are empty of you are empty of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/places-that-are-empty-of-you-are-empty-of-life/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Tis visible silence, still as the hour-glass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/tis-visible-silence-still-as-the-hour-glass/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [“I have been here before, But when or how I cannot tell: I know the grass beyond the door, The sweet keen smell, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/i-have-been-here-before-but-when-or-how-i-cannot-tell-i-know-the-2/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/the-worst-moment-for-the-atheist-is-when-he-is-really-thankful-and/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Her hair that lay along her back Was yellow like ripe corn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/her-hair-that-lay-along-her-back-was-yellow-like-ripe-corn/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) [Explore all 41 Dante Gabriel Rossetti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) ## More Fall quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [Life will knock you down & it's tough, but you are strong enough. Get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-will-knock-you-down-it-s-tough-but-you-are-strong-enough-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [“If you ever falling but can't see the bottom be glad you can't because at the bottom it's either a soft land or rocks!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelseigh-ashton/if-you-ever-falling-but-can-t-see-the-bottom-be-glad-you-can-t/) Kelseigh Ashton > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) Browse all 13,401 Fall quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have been mine before - How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallow's soar, your neck turned so, Some veil did fall, - I knew it all of yore.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dante Gabriel Rossetti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i-may-not-know-but-just-when/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fall" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i-may-not-know-but-just-when/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/dante-gabriel-rossetti-15776_fall_you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i_2612893.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have been mine before - How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallow's soar, your neck…” — Dante Gabriel Rossetti", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dante Gabriel Rossetti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have been mine before -...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i-may-not-know-but-just-when/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/you-have-been-mine-before-how-long-ago-i-may-not-know-but-just-when/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```