Andrew Marvell: Poems

The definition of love

Therefore the love which us doth bind,
But fate so enviously debars,
Is the conjunction of the mind,
And opposition of the stars.

We say that stars are in conjunction when they are seen in the sky very close together; that they are in opposition when they are situated in opposite parts of the sky. According to astrology, moreover, planets in conjunction unite their influences. In opposition they fight against each other. Here the lovers' minds are in conjunction. They are united, but their stars (fate) are against them.

Can you explain more of this analysis in your own words and help to brighten the understanding between the opposition of the stars and the conjunction of the mind?

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