Persuasion Quotes
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Source: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope...I have loved none but you."
You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you.
Context
Um, swoon, much?
Well, this is Jane Austen, so a little swooniness is in order. This line comes to us from Persuasion. In fact, it's actually from the letter that Captain Wentworth writes to Anne Elliot, finally declaring his undying love for our girl.
See, they were in love years ago, but Wentworth wasn't wealthy enough and didn't have a high enough social rank to appease Anne's snobby relatives. But now things have changed, and Wentworth is once again professing his love for Anne. He has no clue how she's going to respond—hence the hope and agony.
Luckily for Wentworth, his love hasn't been forgotten. Anne was never into the sleazy Mr. Elliot just like Wentworth never really liked the flirtatious (and painfully clumsy) Louisa, so everything is hunky-dory in the end...which is just how Austen likes it.
Where you've heard it
Love can be both a wonderful and painful emotion, and no one can describe the lasting agony mixed with the unwavering hope better than our gal Austen.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Wentworth may be dreamy, but we're thinking you should tone it down a little the next time you're writing a love letter.