--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Song Go and catch a falling star, Get…" description: "\"“Song Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the devil's foot, Teach me to hear me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg" --- # Song Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a… ![“Song Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the devil's foot, Teach me to hear mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy's stinging, And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind. If thou be'st born to strange sights, Things…” quote by John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg) > ““Song Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the devil's foot, Teach me to hear mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy's stinging, And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind. If thou be'st born to strange sights, Things invisible to see, Ride ten thousand days and nights, Till age snow white hairs on thee, Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me, All strange wonders that befell thee, And swear, No where Lives a woman true, and fair. If thou find'st one, let me know, Such a pilgrimage were sweet; Yet do not, I would not go, Though at next door we might meet; Though she were true, when you met her, And last, till you write your letter, Yet she Will be False, ere I come, to two, or three. —John Donne, 1572–1631”” [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) ## 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 asks for extraordinary experiences and truths, using fantastical imagery to explore love, truth, and the quest for authenticity. **In simple terms:** He seeks wonder and truth through poetic quests. Key Takeaway Pursue authentic experiences and truth. Themes love truth quest Mood hopeful curious Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - romantic courtship - spiritual seeking - creative writing Key Concepts poetic imagination mythic symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What “strange wonders” have you pursued? - How do you discern true love from illusion? A Different Perspective The fantastical tone may obscure practical advice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Falling star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-star/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [“Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the Devil's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-with-child-a-mandrake-root-tell-me/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry; But where's that wiseman, that would not be I,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/i-am-two-fools-i-know-for-loving-and-for-saying-so-in-whining-poetry-2/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is; Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/mark-but-this-flea-and-mark-in-this-how-little-that-which-thou/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Commemoration of John Donne, Priest, Poet, 1631 He was the Word that spake it; He took the bread and brake it; And what that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/commemoration-of-john-donne-priest-poet-1631-he-was-the-word-that/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“But, love, hate on; for now I know thy mind. Those that can see, thou lov’st; and I am blind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-love-hate-on-for-now-i-know-thy-mind-those-that-can-see-thou-lov/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“...peace of mind: Thou shalt have it only, the answer seemed to come to me, when thou has ceased to desire it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/peace-of-mind-thou-shalt-have-it-only-the-answer-seemed-to-come-to-me/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“time is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from thy mind, it will go and thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/time-is-fixed-for-thee-which-if-thou-dost-not-use-for-clearing-away/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, Till thou return unto the ground; for thou Out of the ground wast taken;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/in-the-sweat-of-thy-face-thou-shalt-eat-bread-till-thou-return-unto/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“Mist to mist, drops to drops. For water thou art, and unto water shalt thou return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/mist-to-mist-drops-to-drops-for-water-thou-art-and-unto-water-shalt/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“I will put my hook in thy nose and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-m-neal/i-will-put-my-hook-in-thy-nose-and-my-bridle-in-thy-lips-and-i-will/) Donovan M. Neal > [For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. -Genesis iii. 19](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/for-dust-thou-art-and-unto-dust-shalt-thou-return-genesis-iii-19/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Lord I do fear / Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/lord-i-do-fear-thou-st-made-the-world-too-beautiful-this-year/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [Lord, I do fear Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year My soul is all but out of me-let fall No burning leaf;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/lord-i-do-fear-thou-st-made-the-world-too-beautiful-this-year-my-soul/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [Learn to live well, that thou may'st die so too; To live and die is all we have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denham/learn-to-live-well-that-thou-may-st-die-so-too-to-live-and-die-is-all/) [John Denham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denham/) > [“for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torah/for-dust-thou-art-and-unto-dust-shalt-thou-return/) Torah ## More by John Donne > [Our critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/but-i-do-nothing-upon-myself-and-yet-i-am-my-own-executioner/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/all-mankind-is-of-one-author-and-is-one-volume-when-one-man-dies-one/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Commemoration of Pandita Mary Ramabai, Translator of the Scriptures, 1922 A memory of yesterday's pleasures, a fear of tomorrow's dangers, a straw under my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/commemoration-of-pandita-mary-ramabai-translator-of-the-scriptures/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Various content To your eyes, ears, and tongue, and every part. 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If thou be'st born to strange sights, Things invisible to see, Ride ten thousand days and nights, Till age snow white hairs on thee, Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me, All strange wonders that befell thee, And swear, No where Lives a woman true, and fair. If thou find'st one, let me know, Such a pilgrimage were sweet; Yet do not, I would not go, Though at next door we might meet; Though she were true, when you met her, And last, till you write your letter, Yet she Will be False, ere I come, to two, or three. —John Donne, 1572–1631”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Donne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-with-child-a-mandrake-root-tell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-with-child-a-mandrake-root-tell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-donne-933_children_song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-wit_1619061.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Song Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who…” — John Donne", "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": "John Donne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Song Go and catch a falling...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-with-child-a-mandrake-root-tell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/song-go-and-catch-a-falling-star-get-with-child-a-mandrake-root-tell/#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 } } ] } ```