The Canonization by John Donne detailed explanation

For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love,

         Or chide my palsy, or my gout,

My five gray hairs, or ruined fortune flout,

         With wealth your state, your mind with arts improve,

                Take you a course, get you a place,

                Observe his honor, or his grace,

Or the king's real, or his stampèd face

         Contemplate; what you will, approve,

         So you will let me love.

Alas, alas, who’s injured by my love?

         What merchant’s ships have my sighs drowned?

Who says my tears have overflowed his ground?

         When did my colds a forward spring remove?

                When did the heats which my veins fill

                Add one more to the plaguy bill?

Soldiers find wars, and lawyers find out still

         Litigious men, which quarrels move,

         Though she and I do love.

Call us what you will, we are made such by love;

         Call her one, me another fly,

We're tapers too, and at our own cost die,

         And we in us find the eagle and the dove.

                The phoenix riddle hath more wit

                By us; we two being one, are it.

So, to one neutral thing both sexes fit.

         We die and rise the same, and prove

         Mysterious by this love.

We can die by it, if not live by love,

         And if unfit for tombs and hearse

Our legend be, it will be fit for verse;

         And if no piece of chronicle we prove,

                We’ll build in sonnets pretty rooms;

                As well a well-wrought urn becomes

The greatest ashes, as half-acre tombs,

         And by these hymns, all shall approve

         Us canonized for Love.

And thus invoke us: “You, whom reverend love

         Made one another’s hermitage;

You, to whom love was peace, that now is rage;

         Who did the whole world's soul contract, and drove

                Into the glasses of your eyes

                (So made such mirrors, and such spies,

That they did all to you epitomize)

         Countries, towns, courts: beg from above

         A pattern of your love!”

 

Stanza 1

The poem begins with an explicit dramatic scene in which the speaker expresses his frustration or rather dissatisfaction, because he can not freely engage in love. He pleads to those who never let him love. The poet remarkably deconstructs the notion of a lover. The lover presented here is not at all handsome and undergoes several health issues like paralysis and joint pain, due to his old age. Surprisingly, he still talks about romance.

The people may be his own friends do not allow him to love. Hence, he raises his voice of frustration against them and give some suggestions. Those who mocks at the speaker can either criticize his ill health and even his ruined financial state.  Speaker reacts the fact that, it is better to improve themselves by focusing on their own wealth or concentrate to come up with a perfect work of art. It is also possible for them to join for a course/ programme and get themselves settled. They can also observe the king’s real face or illustrated one, then contemplate about it to produce something noble and worthy. After giving these suggestions, the speaker pleads others to permit him to love.  

Stanza 2

The speaker goes on with his dramatic expression by implementing hyperboles. He wants to know that if anyone affected negatively because of his love. Does it cause the drowning of the ships? And do his tears create any troubles in the ground ?

The hot and cold of his love (two states/ moods) do not create any problem for others. The cold of his love does not extend the arrival of spring season, and the heat of his love does not add a figure in the list of death due to plague. His love is completely harmless for others. Soldiers are busy and lawyers are engaged because of their dispute settlement with litigious men. The life goes smoothly despite of their romance.

 

Stanza 3

Poet gathers strength and states that others can call them anything as they are so special and powerful. Love is the motivating force behind their life. Speaker suggests that others can call them as fly (can be butterfly, housefly, firefly). Butterfly is the most romantic symbol. Lovers also ramble around just like houseflies.

They are like tapers (candles) as they are ready to sacrifice anything for love. Just like the candles burn too bright for the light. Speaker also presents the contrasting imagery of eagle and dove. The eagle represents all the masculine qualities while the dove stands for the feminine.

Speaker makes use of a battalion of metaphysical conceits, such as fly, candles, eagle, dove and most strikingly the image of phoenix bird. The myth of phoenix can powerfully reflect their love. Love has the capacity to raise from the ashes of destruction. The feeling of love is delphic and mysterious as it fades and rises right away.

 

Stanza 4

The speaker is even ready to forsake his life if he is incapable of going on with his love. After his death, the speaker may not fit for the great tombs and royal funeral carriages (hearse). But, he perfectly fits for poetry. He can not record his name in the historical chronicles. Still, his platonic love is the fittest subject matter for sonnets. Their love can no longer create history but beautiful verses. The well made urn and the huge mighty tombs are the right place for the ashes of heroes. For them, a single piece of poetry itself is a perfect monument. Gradually people shall accept them as saints in the religion of love. The speaker wanted to explore the spiritual side of the love.

 

Stanza 5

Since they are the mediators of love, others shall pray to them. Their special love provides a spiritual sanctuary (hermitage) for each other. Their platonic love proved the spiritual aspects in it. Love can also offer immense peace but they are highly frustrated. They captured the attention of the whole world and move on with it by reflecting the true and genuine love in their eyes. Their love epitomizes the real and universal spirit. The entire world (countries, towns and courts) ask heaven to provide this supreme pattern of their love.