Meaning: This quote is from a poem by W. H. Auden, an influential English-American poet known for his distinctive voice and wide-ranging subject matter. The quote is taken from Auden's poem "As I Walked Out One Evening," which was first published in 1937. In this poem, Auden explores themes of love, time, and the transience of human existence.

The quote "I'll love you, dear, I'll love you till China and Africa meet and the river jumps over the mountain and the salmon sing in the street" is a beautiful and imaginative expression of enduring love. Auden employs vivid and fantastical imagery to convey the depth and sincerity of the speaker's love for the beloved. The mention of China and Africa meeting, the river jumping over the mountain, and the salmon singing in the street all serve as fantastical and impossible occurrences, emphasizing the unlikelihood of the love ever fading or ending. The use of such fantastical imagery is typical of Auden's poetic style, which often combines the everyday with the surreal.

The line "I'll love you, dear, I'll love you till China and Africa meet and the river jumps over the mountain and the salmon sing in the street" captures the timeless and boundless nature of love, suggesting that the speaker's love will endure even in the face of seemingly impossible or inconceivable events. The use of hyperbolic and surreal imagery serves to emphasize the strength and permanence of the speaker's love, transcending the limitations of time and space.

Auden's poem "As I Walked Out One Evening" is structured as a dialogue between two voices, one of which is a timeless, wise, and somewhat cynical observer, while the other is a young lover. Throughout the poem, the two voices engage in a conversation about the nature of love, the passing of time, and the inevitability of mortality. The quote in question is spoken by the youthful lover, whose idealized and passionate view of love contrasts with the more cynical and world-weary perspective of the observer.

The poem as a whole is a meditation on the complexities of love, the passage of time, and the eternal themes of human existence. Auden's use of vivid and imaginative imagery, as demonstrated in the quote, contributes to the poem's dreamlike and timeless quality. The fantastical elements in the quote serve to evoke a sense of wonder and enchantment, heightening the emotional impact of the speaker's declaration of love.

In conclusion, the quote "I'll love you, dear, I'll love you till China and Africa meet and the river jumps over the mountain and the salmon sing in the street" from W. H. Auden's poem "As I Walked Out One Evening" is a powerful and evocative expression of enduring love. Through the use of surreal and fantastical imagery, Auden captures the timeless and boundless nature of love, emphasizing its enduring strength in the face of seemingly impossible or inconceivable events. The quote is a testament to Auden's skill as a poet and his ability to convey profound emotions through vivid and imaginative language.