Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. love possesses not nor would it be possessed; for love is sufficient unto love. when you love you should not say, ‘god is in my heart,' but rather, ‘i am in the heart of god.'5 and think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. but if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires: to melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.10 to know the pain of too much tenderness. to be wounded by your own understanding of love; and to bleed willingly and joyfully. to wake at dawn with a winged heart and give for another day of loving; to rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy; 15 to return home at eventide with gratitude; and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips. which statement best states the theme of this poem?

Read the excerpts from part 3 of "an occurrence at owl creek bridge." a rising sheet of water curved over him, fell down upon him, blinded him, strangled him! the cannon had taken a hand in the game. as he shook his head free from the commotion of the smitten water he heard the deflected shot humming through the air ahead, and in an instant it was cracking and smashing the branches in the forest beyond. *** a whiz and rattle of grapeshot among the branches high above his head roused him from his dream. the baffled cannoneer had fired him a random farewell. he sprang to his feet, rushed up the sloping bank, and plunged into the forest. *** as he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence! what function does the motif of the cannon serve throughout the story? the cannon continually pushes farquhar to continue his journey through his dream and back to reality. the cannon encourages farquhar to investigate whether his escape was a dream or reality. the cannon reminds farquhar that time is subjective and encourages him to move quickly in order to reach his home. the cannon represents farquhar’s romantic dream that he escaped his execution and will return home.