Love Not
Love Not [1830]
Caroline Elizabeth (Sheridan) Norton (1808-1877)
Love not, love not, ye hapless sons of clay!
Hope's gayest wreaths are made of earthly flowers,--
Things that are made to fade and fall away
Ere they have blossomed for a few short hours.
Love not!
Love not! the thing ye love may change;
The rosy lip may cease to smile on you,
The kindly-beaming eye grow cold and strange,
The heart still warmly beat, yet not be true.
Love not!
Love not! the thing you love may die,--
May perish from the gay and gladsome earth;
The silent stars, the blue and smiling sky,
Beam o'er its grave, as once upon its birth.
Love not!
Love not! O warning vainly said
In present hours as in years gone by!
Love flings a halo round the dear one's head,
Faultless, immortal, till they change or die.
Love not!
Questions for Discussion
1. Which of the following best expresses the author's attitude towards love?
A) Love is a joyful and fulfilling emotion.
B) One should do anything to find their true love.
C) True love is the greatest joy a person can know,
D) Love is a burden that is not worth the effort.
2. Which of these occurrences does the author not warn about in her poem?
A) the death of a lover
B) a lover changes for the worse
C) a lover is disloyal
D) a lover becomes wealthy
3. What does the author mean when she writes, "Love not! O warning vainly said In present hours as in years gone by!"?
A) She means that warning people about love has never and will never stop them from loving.
B) She means that once you love someone, you will always love them.
C) She means that only arrogant people can fall in love.
D) She means that the act of loving someone cannot stop them from leaving.
4. If the author were to retitle the poem, which would be a suitable choice?
A) Love is a Joyous Wonder
B) The Disappointment of Love
C) Contentment in Love
D) Love Has Found me
5. To what is the author comparing a loved one in the line, "Love flings a halo round the dear one's head,"?
A) a wounded bird
B) a lost sheep
C) an angel
D) a king
6. What conclusion can be drawn about the speaker of the poem?
A) They have been hurt by the loss and/or dishonesty of a loved one.
B) They hope to fall in love again soon.
C) They are in a loving relationship.
D) They have never experienced a broken heart.
7. To what does the author compare love in the first stanza of the poem?
A) birds that will fly away
B) flowers that will fade away
C) saints that will be proven sinners
D) unsmiling lips