AP Success - AP English Literature: The Broken Heart
Source 1: The Broken Heart by John Donne, written in 1633The Broken HeartHe is stark mad, whoever says,That he hath been in love an hour,5Yet not that love so soon decays,But that it can ten in less space devour;Who will believe me, if I swearThat I have had the plague a year?Who would not laugh at me, if I should say10I saw a flash of powder burn a day?Ah, what a trifle is a heart,If once into love's hands it come!All other griefs allow a part15To other griefs, and ask themselves but some;They come to us, but us love draws;He swallows us and never chaws;By him, as by chain'd shot, whole ranks do die;He is the tyrant pike,1 our hearts the fry.220If 'twere not so, what did becomeOf my heart when I first saw thee?I brought a heart into the room,But from the room I carried none with me;25If it had gone to thee, I knowMine would have taught thine heart to showMore pity unto me ; but Love, alas!At one first blow did shiver3 it as glass.30Yet nothing can to nothing fall,Nor any place be empty quite;Therefore I think my breast hath allThose pieces still, though they be not unite;And now, as broken glasses show35A hundred lesser faces, soMy rags of heart can like, wish, and adore,But after one such love, can love no more.—John Donne, 1633401 predatory fish2 small fish, easily devoured3 shatter
1
In lines 3-4 ("He is stark mad, whoever says, / That he hath been in love an hour"), the speaker suggests that:Love is a fleeting emotion.
Madness is a temporary state.
Love cannot be confined to a specific timeframe.
Madness and love are intimately connected.
Being in love for an hour is a rational experience.
2
The phrase "it can ten in less space devour" (line 6) primarily signifies that love:
Evolves over time.
Is enduring and long-lasting.
Can be destructive.
Fosters growth and development.
Is difficult to understand.
3
The rhetorical question in lines 7-8 ("Who will believe me, if I swear / That I have had the plague a year?") serves to:Emphasize the severity of love.
Show the speaker's desperation for belief.
Compare love to a disease.
Undermine the speaker's credibility.
Highlight the speaker's honesty.
4
The metaphor of a "flash of powder burn a day" (line 10) is used to illustrate:
The destructive power of love.
The suddenness of love.
The danger inherent in love.
The intensity of passion.
The fleeting nature of attraction.
5
In line 12, "Ah, what a trifle is a heart," the speaker suggests that the heart is:
Valuable and cherished.
Easily manipulated.
The source of all emotion.
Resilient and strong.
Insignificant when compared to love.
6
The comparison of love to a "tyrant pike" (line 19) suggests that love is:
Cruel and domineering.
Indifferent and uninvolved.
Gentle and nurturing.
Encouraging and supportive.
Playful and whimsical.
7
The imagery of "broken glasses" (line 34) serves to symbolize:
Reconstruction and healing.
Transparency and honesty.
Clarity and understanding.
Fragility and vulnerability.
Confusion and distortion.
8
In line 37, "My rags of heart can like, wish, and adore," indicates that the speaker feels:
Detachment and indifference.
A sense of loss and incompleteness.
Overwhelming joy and contentment.
Anger and resentment.
Complete emotional fulfillment.
9
The passage as a whole portrays love as:
A source of joy and happiness.
A guiding principle for behavior.
A dangerous and consuming power.
A unifying force.
A trivial and unimportant emotion.
10
The speaker's tone throughout the poem can best be described as:
Indifferent and apathetic.
Optimistic and hopeful.
Reverent and admiring.
Desperate and pleading.
Sarcastic and cynical.
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