However, he wrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were. And so ended his affection, said Elizabeth impatiently. There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love! I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love, said Darcy. Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away.

Summary

In this quote from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth reflects on a suitor who has fallen out of love with a woman after writing poetry about her. Elizabeth sarcastically remarks on the power of poetry to drive away love, questioning who first discovered this. Mr. Darcy counters this notion, claiming that while poetry may nourish a strong love, it can easily diminish a weak affection. Thus, the quote highlights the differing perspectives on the impact of poetry on love, suggesting that poetry's influence varies depending on the depth of the feelings involved.

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