If I kept or if I keep

Question

I want to know the difference between the two sentences and which one is right.

If I kept saying I love you for the rest of my life it wouldn't be enough.
If I keep saying I love you for the rest of my life it won't be enough.

Possible duplicate of How do the tenses and aspects in English correspond temporally to one another? — tchrist, May 07 '16 at 02:37
@tchrist Undoubtedly a duplicate but undoubtedly not a duplicate of that - at all or in any way. One of the many reasons why that question is not answerable by a diagram. — Araucaria - Him, May 16 '16 at 00:38

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered May 07 '16 at 00:46

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Both are correct. To me the differences are subtle and perhaps not meaningful because the endpoints are identical. The first looks ahead to a point just before death as though the action had been performed as envisioned, while the second is more in the moment, perhaps deciding whether to continue with the action. In either case, the sentiment is powerful.

answered May 07 '16 at 00:46

KWinker

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Powerful, or banal. – deadrat May 07 '16 at 05:57
Ahh, I see you are a romantic, @deadrat. :) As I grow older and contemplate centuries of civilization and over 7 billion people on the planet at present, I look less for originality and more for clarity of expression. (And continue to strive for the latter in my own work.) – KWinker May 07 '16 at 06:10
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Romantic? Me? When Charlie Manson finally gets stabbed to death in prison over a fine point of theology, I'll be the least romantic person in the western hemisphere. Upvote for flattery, though. – deadrat May 07 '16 at 07:22

If I kept or if I keep

1 Answers1