English Literature A-Level
Sacred and Profane Love
What Sacred and Profane Love means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definition of Sacred and Profane Love
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Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Sacred and Profane Love in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: Pearson Edexcel
The poem elevates secular love to the status of religious martyrdom, equating passionate lovers with religious saints and martyrs.
Topics that use Sacred and Profane Love
- Component 3: Poetry – Section B: Specified Poetry Pre- or Post-1900 – Pre-1900 – Metaphysical Poetry – John Donne Selected Poems (Penguin Classics, 2006) (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Art and Immortality
- Cynicism and Misogyny
- Death and mortality
- Death and the afterlife
- Divine Forgiveness
- Erotic love and physical desire
- Eroticism and Violence
- Exploration and colonisation
Using Sacred and Profane Love in the exam
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