Donne: Woman's Constancy

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Marius Hancu - 21 May 2009 08:33 GMT

Hello:

I'm not getting the idea of "antedate" here. I know though about
antedated checks:-)

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NOW thou hast loved me one whole day,
To-morrow when thou leavest, what wilt thou say ?
Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow ?

Donne, Woman's Constancy, p. 74
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/constancy.php
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Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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the Omrud - 21 May 2009 12:39 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> To-morrow when thou leavest, what wilt thou say ?
> Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow ?

He's suggesting that she will leave him tomorrow, citing an "earlier"
promise which was in fact new-made.

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David

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James Hogg - 21 May 2009 12:41 GMT

Marius Hancu <NOSPAM@videotron.ca>
Whose moving finger wrote, and cheerfully
Clicked "Send" to wing the words below to me,
Is powerless to cancel half a line:
'Tis stored on Google sempiternally.

>Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>Donne, Woman's Constancy, p. 74
>http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/constancy.php

It's quite literal, like antedating a cheque. Tomorrow she will
make a new vow but she will antedate it, claiming that she had
promised her love to someone else *before* this day with Donne.

Or something like that.

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James

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2009

Donne: Woman's Constancy