A
Valediction : Forbidding mourning - JOHN DONNE
Write an
essay of 300 words: Attempt a critical appreciation of John
Donne’s ‘A Valediction Forbidding
Mourning’. What are your views on the metaphysical elements in the poem?
A Valediction: Forbidding
mourning is a metaphysical poem written by John Donne who is the founder of
metaphysical poetry in English. The term
“metaphysical” implies preoccupation with philosophy. The metaphysical poetry
is distinguished by its startling images, conceits and comparisons. Metaphysical poets see acute resemblances in
things which were clearly unlike. For example in “A Valediction: Forbidding
Mourning” Donne brings out a parallel between the relationship of his and his
lady’s soul to the coordinated movements of the compasses. Spiritual love is
compared to the death of a holy man. Again love is compared to pure gold. The
poet uses many poetic devices such as metaphor, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole
and mockery of sentiments. He tells his lady love to avoid ‘tear floods and
sigh tempests. Lovers are compared with clergy and laity of a church. “The Sun
Rising” and “A Valediction: Forbidding mourning” are his most famous love
poems. Critics like T.S. Eliot and others
have said: “Great poetry is always metaphysical born of men’s passionate
thinking about life, love and death”.
The narrator goes away to France
leaving his lady love for the time being. But the lover assures his lady love
that their love is not an ordinary one, but spiritual love. He addresses the
poem to his lady love and tells her that their love is as silent and peaceful
as the death of a good man. When he dies no one knows it although they are all
standing by his death bed. The death is so peaceful and sweet that his friends
do not know his death. Similarly the
lovers don’t cry or make any expression of sorrow when they depart. If she
weeps, it is a violation of the purity of their love to let the common man know
about it. They are the high priests of
spiritual love. Tears and sorrow are forbidden for their spiritual love.
Ordinary lovers cry and shout when they leave each other.
The lover tells his lady love
that earthquakes destroy buildings, create natural calamities, killing
thousands of people and there will be violent waves in the oceans. But the
movement of the trepidation of the spheres is so great and powerful compared
with the earthquake. But this movement is so silent and peaceful that it does
not create any destruction. On the other hand it produces celestial music.
Similarly the spiritual love between the narrator and his ladylove is very
strong compared with the passive earthly love of ordinary people. They love in
their senses and not in their spirit. So they need physical touch for their
love. On the other hand the spiritual lovers don’t need the presence of each
other. They are one in the spirit Again spiritual love is compared to pure gold
and when it is hammered, it does not break, but ever expands to invisibility.
Here the poet uses the poetic technique of ‘hyperbole’.
The lover tells his ladylove that
they are physically two and they are compared with a pair of compasses, the one
remaining fixed when the other is revolving round it always bending inward to
the centre. It is the firmness of one foot that holds the other in its
circle. Similarly it is the firmness of
one’s love for the other makes the circle of life complete and loyal to each
other. So the lover will certainly come back to his lady love and they continue
their life together.
Answer the following questions in
two or three sentences
1.‘So let us melt, and make no
noise,
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;
‘Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love’. What is special about the figure of
speech and bring out the beauty of the metaphor
The speaker of the poem ‘A
Valediction Forbidding Mourning’ tells his lady love that they should accept
their separation silently with no tears or sighs. If they weep or sob, it would
be to profane their divine love. True lovers are like high priests of the
church (clergy) while ordinary lovers are compared with the members of the
congregation (laity). Hyperbole is a hallmark of metaphysical poetry. Mockery
of sentiments also used here. Tear is compared to flood and sigh is to
tempests. Effective use of metaphors adds to the beauty of the metaphysical
poem.
2. ‘Dull sublunary lovers’ love
-Whose soul is sense- cannot admit
Of absence, ‘cause it doth remove
The thing which elemented it.’ - Explain
The poetic devices of assonance and
alliteration are used in these lines taken from John Donne’s famous
metaphysical poem ‘A Valediction Forbidding Mourning’. The assonance of short
‘u’ vowel sounds in each word of the first line gives the meaning of stupidity
(dullness) of ordinary lovers. They need physical attachment for their love.
The word ‘absence’ is used as ‘not being present’. It means that ordinary
lovers don’t get sensual (sexual) pleasures and therefore their life is very
dull. Again the alliteration of ‘l’ consonant in the first line adds to the
beauty of the poem.
3. ‘Our two souls therefore,
which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to aery thinness beat’
Briefly explain the poetic device used. Do you
agree with Dr.Johnson’s observation that the resemblance is the result of
“discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike”? These lines are
taken from John Donne’s famous metaphysical poem ‘A Valediction Forbidding
Mourning’. The speaker of the poem tells his lady love that he must go away
from her to France
but she must remember that their souls are one in the spirit and inseparable.
Their true love is compared to pure gold when hammered, does not break, but ever
expands to thin air and become invisible. The comparison of true love to pure
gold is quite unlike subjects. Effective metaphor is used here. Dr.Samuel
Johnson the great English critic and poet observed that such comparisons in
metaphysical poetry are the result of occult resemblances in things apparently
unlike. This is the main feature of metaphysical poetry.
4. The metaphysical features of Donne’s poem – 1st
paragraph of the essay.
Kjt/29-03-2013
Actually good
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