of the heavenly bodies derived their light from the sun was an ancient belief (Donne 388). Thus, this is one example in which Donne used an ancient model of astronomy in order to create a metaphor for love.
In "Love's Growth," Donne also refers to the idea that although love is a very complex thing, it is also simple because it is focused on only one thing--namely the woman who is being loved. In order to convey this thought, Donne compares love with the circles which are made in water when a rock is dropped into it. Donne notes that one circle expands outward in order to create more circles which surround it. In driving this image home, Donne compares it with the idea that "like so many spheres, but one heaven make" (69). This is a clear reference to the Ptolemaic model of the universe, which saw "the heavens as a series of concentric hollow globes which revolved round the earth and carried the heavenly bodies with them" (388). Therefore, again, Donne uses an astronomical image in order to provide a metaphor for the expression of love. Also,
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