A Valediction : Forbidding mourning by John Donne summary and analysis

As virtuous men pass mildly away,

   And whisper to their souls to go,

Whilst some of their sad friends do say

   The breath goes now, and some say, No:

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.

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears,

   Men reckon what it did, and meant;

But trepidation of the spheres,

   Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love

   (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit

Absence, because it doth remove

   Those things which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refined,

   That our selves know not what it is,

Inter-assured of the mind,

   Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.

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.

If they be two, they are two so

   As stiff twin compasses are two;

Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show

   To move, but doth, if the other do.

And though it in the center sit,

   Yet when the other far doth roam,

It leans and hearkens after it,

   And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,

   Like th' other foot, obliquely run;

Thy firmness makes my circle just,

   And makes me end where I begun

 

 A Valediction : Forbidding mourning is a classic metaphysical poem written by the leading figure in the metaphysical group of poets John Donne. As a typical metaphysical poem it begins abruptly with an unlikely comparison. He states that virtuous men die gently Without making any fuss. Even their friends cannot detect whether the soul left or not from their body. Because the death happens so slightly in an easeful manner. Similarly the speaker is about to leave his home. He does not expect tearful lamentation and noisy mourning from his wife. 

He in fact wants to express such a refined version of spiritual love towards the ordinary people. He states that these kind of unnecessary or showy expressions such as tears Sighs and lamination destroy their happy life. Thus, the speaker wanted to pass gently as the soul leaves from the body of a virtuous person.

 

Natural disasters like earthquakes lead to troubles and harms. men shall definitely discuss the cause and effect of such incidents. But far away there are certain movements happening in the solar system or in the sphear of earth. that never unsettle the living beings as it is just a habitual action and human kind is least bothered about it. The speaker actually wanted to convey the fact that his movement too should be that much innocent and peaceful.

 

Ordinary lovers (common folks) cannot accept this separation. It may seriously damage their love. This physical distance perhaps affect their true love.

 

The speaker wants to assert that their love is special as it is refined in spiritual sense. the bond of the mind is beyond explanation, there is no role for the physical beauty such as eyes, lips and hand. 

 

Their two physical bodies are united with a single soul. As he moves there is no chance for a break but only and expansion. Their love is that much genuine and as flexible as gold. The fine metal gold can be converted into any form while all other metals may break; while the malleability of the gold is remarkable. Thus, by using this metaphysical conceit the speaker compares his love with the fine metal gold.

 

Here comes the classic example of the metaphysical conceit. later the speaker equates his love with the stiff twin compass. In order to form a perfect circle one foot should be always fixed, so his wife remains in the home contemplating the true love while the husband leaves and works for their family.

This unlike but rational as well as logical comparison is the unique quality of a metaphysical poem they unified the sense of emotion and intellect. The speaker concludes the poem by saying that "Thy firmness makes my circle just and makes me end where I begun". Their circle of life becomes perfect. Because of their bond of love is firm and unshakable.

 

A Valediction : Forbidding mourning as a Metaphysical Poem

 

The term ‘Metaphysical Poets’ was coined by Dr. Samuel Johnson to describe the 17th century poets including John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell and Abraham Cowley. They had a rational and intellectual view points towards poetry and remarkably unified the sensibilities of emotion and intellect.

 

Their poetry is characterized by abrupt beginning, random and unlike comparison, verbal humour along with life philosophy and heavy use of literary devices like metaphor, irony, paradox and hyperbole.

 

According to Dr.Samuel Johnson "the metaphysical poets were men of learning, and, to show their learning was their whole endeavour". They possess a modern sensibility as they brought daring experimentation in the field of poetry both in form and theme.

 

Following are the general features of metaphysical poetry:

 

·        It discarded all the conventional traditions and poetic diction as it is argumentative or conversational in form and employs colloquial expressions.

 

·        More logical analytical and philosophic rather than romantic.

 

·        Random and candid expressions.

 

·        Extremely intelligent and witty.

 

·        Use of metaphysical conceit (unconventional comparison) - mixing of two unlike things.

 

·        Brings ideas from various disciplines like geography, science, religion, mathematics and astronomy.

 

After all they are great scholars and their intelligence reflected in the verses.

 

The poem a valediction forbidding mourning begins abruptly with an unusual rather shocking and unexpected comparison. As the speaker compares his leaving home with the death of a virtuous man and goes on with these sort of Frank and irregular comparisons. Later he compares his movement with the movement of solar system. Donne heavily uses figures of speech such as extended metaphor and hyperbole. Later, concludes the poem with two dignified metaphysical conceits such as gold and compass.