John Donne : A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Summary
John
Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is a masterpiece of
Metaphysical poetry. Written around 1611, it is a poem of profound reassurance,
using intellectual rigor and startling imagery to argue that true love is
independent of physical presence.
1. Historical and Literary Context
Biographical Context
The poem
was written for Donne’s wife, Anne More, before he departed on a
diplomatic mission to France and Germany with Sir Robert Drury. At the time,
Anne was pregnant and distressed by his departure. The poem serves as a
"valediction" (a farewell speech) intended to comfort her, asserting
that their souls are so inextricably linked that distance cannot truly separate
them.
Literary Context: Metaphysical Poetry
Donne is
the pioneer of the Metaphysical school. This style is characterized by:
- The Conceit: An elaborate,
often scientific or mathematical analogy between two vastly different
things.
- Intellectualism: Using logic,
philosophy, and "new science" (like astronomy) to express
emotion.
- Colloquial Tone: A direct, often conversational opening.
2. Line-by-Line Summary and Analysis
Stanzas 1–2: The Quiet Parting
As virtuous
men pass mildly away... So let us melt, and make no noise...
Donne begins
with a simile comparing their parting to the death of "virtuous men."
Because virtuous people have clear consciences, they die peacefully, whispering
to their souls to leave.
- The Argument: Their parting
should be just as quiet. To cry or sigh excessively would be a “profanation”
(desecration) of their love. He suggests that their love is a private
religion; telling the "laity" (common people/ordinary lovers)
about it would cheapen it.
Stanza 3: Celestial vs. Terrestrial Movement
Moving of
th' earth brings harms and fears... But trepidation of the spheres... is
innocent.
Donne draws
on the Ptolemaic cosmology of his time.
- Earthquakes
("Moving of th' earth"): These are visible, cause damage, and frighten people.
- Trepidation of
the Spheres: The subtle movements of the heavenly bodies are much larger in
scale but remain "innocent" (unnoticed and harmless) to people
on Earth.
- The Meaning: Common lovers
are like earthquakes—noisy and destructive. Donne and Anne’s love is
"celestial"—vast, powerful, but quiet and stable.
Stanzas 4–5: Sublunary vs. Refined Love
Dull
sublunary lovers' love... Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.
Donne
creates a hierarchy of love:
- Sublunary
Love:
"Sublunary" means beneath the moon (the realm of change and
decay). This love is purely physical ("whose soul is sense").
Because it relies on bodies, it cannot survive "absence."
- Refined Love: Their love is
"inter-assured of the mind." It is so spiritual that even they
don't fully understand it. Therefore, they don't care as much about
missing "eyes, lips, and hands."
Stanza 6: The Gold Conceit
Our two
souls therefore, which are one... Like gold to airy thinness beat.
This is one
of the most famous metaphors in literature. Instead of a "breach" (a
break) caused by distance, their souls experience an "expansion."
He compares their connection to gold, the most precious and malleable
metal. When gold is hammered, it doesn't break; it stretches out into a
translucent, "airy" foil.
Stanzas 7–9: The Twin Compasses
If they be
two, they are two so / As stiff twin compasses are two...
Donne
introduces the poem's most famous Metaphysical Conceit: the drafting
compass.
- The Fixed Foot
(Anne): She
stays in the center. She doesn't seem to move, but she leans toward him as
he travels.
- The Moving
Foot (Donne): He "obliquely runs" the outer circle.
- The
Conclusion: Her "firmness" (faithfulness and stability) ensures that
his circle is "just" (perfect). It allows him to "end where
I begun"—returning home to her.
3. Major Themes
|
Theme |
Description |
|
Spiritual vs. Physical Love |
The poem argues that "refined" love transcends
the physical body and exists in the realm of the soul and mind. |
|
Unity in Diversity |
Though they are two individuals, their souls are
"one." Distance does not divide; it expands. |
|
The Sacredness of Love |
Donne uses religious language ("laity,"
"profanation") to suggest that their love is a private, holy
mystery. |
|
Constancy |
The "fixed foot" of the compass represents the
woman's role as the anchor that ensures the man's safe return. |
RTC 1: The "Gold" Passage
"Our
two souls therefore, which are one, / Though I must go, endure not yet / A
breach, but an expansion, / Like gold to airy thinness beat."
- Context: These lines
occur in the sixth stanza as Donne transitions from discussing the nature
of their love to the mechanics of their separation.
- Explanation: Donne rejects
the idea that his departure creates a hole or a break in their
relationship. By using the analogy of gold, he emphasizes the purity
and resilience of their bond. Gold is the "king of
metals," and its ability to be beaten into "airy thinness" without
snapping symbolizes a love that can cover any distance.
- Critical Note: This
highlights the Metaphysical tendency to use physical properties
(malleability of gold) to explain metaphysical states (the soul).
RTC 2: The "Sublunary Lovers"
"Dull
sublunary lovers' love / (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit / Absence, because
it doth remove / Those things which elemented it."
- Context: Stanza 4,
where Donne distinguishes his relationship from "ordinary"
couples.
- Explanation:
"Sublunary" refers to the world below the moon, which in
medieval philosophy was subject to change and death. Such lovers are
"dull" because their love is based solely on "sense"
(physical touch, sight). If the physical body is removed, the love itself
vanishes because the "elements" that built it (limbs, faces) are
gone.
- Critical Note: Donne uses a
logical, almost clinical tone here to dismiss lower forms of affection,
elevating his own relationship to a philosophical ideal.
RTC 3: The "Compass" Conclusion
"Thy
firmness makes my circle just, / And makes me end where I begun."
- Context: The final two
lines of the poem, concluding the compass conceit.
- Explanation: The
"circle" is a symbol of perfection and eternity. Donne tells
Anne that her steadfastness ("firmness") is what allows his journey
to be successful and his life to be "just" (accurate/perfect).
It is her stability that pulls him back home.
- Critical Note: This is the
ultimate reassurance. It transforms the "mourning" of his
departure into a celebration of the "firmness" that will eventually
bring them back together.
Comparison of Love Types
|
Feature |
Sublunary Lovers |
Donne & Anne
(Refined Love) |
|
Basis |
Physical (Sense) |
Mental/Spiritual
(Mind) |
|
Reaction to
Absence |
Despair/Dissolution |
Expansion/Endurance |
|
Symbol |
Earthquake
(Harm/Fear) |
Trepidation of
Spheres (Innocent) |
|
Metaphor |
Dust/Decay |
Gold / Drafting
Compass |
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