Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
The second and third strong images in the poem concern the love connection between the couple. The poet uses gold as a metaphor for the pliability and expanding properties of the couple's love. When gold is beaten, it bends and expands; it does not break. In the same way, the love between the man and the woman will only grow stronger and more expansive through the trial of their separation.
The strongest conceit in the poem is the drawing compass, which the poet uses to demonstrate the unbreakable connection provided by the love between the speaker and his lady. They are joined to each other like the two legs of the compass. The leg drawing the circle represents the speaker, while the leg remaining as an axis represents the lady remaining at home. Like the legs of the compass, the speaker who travels is inevitably drawn back to his love, who in turn yearns for his return. She is the axis around which his world revolves. There are no adventures or persons who can break the connection between them. This connection transcends all trials, and indeed is only forged more strongly by the expanding strength of his love. Indeed, one might even connect this love with the conceit of death used in the beginning of the poem. The love connection between the traveler and his lady is strong enough to transcend even death. While...
Death, for example, positioned right at the beginning of "Valediction," both shocks the reader and emphasizes the depth of the love behind the words. In "Bait," the title is itself a conceit that brings the reader to a temporary halt. The word does not in the least indicate courtship and romantic love. Thus it forms a very strong contrast with the opening lines of the poem.
In conclusion, it can be seen that Donne was a master of the metaphysical conceit. Both these poems, while considering love from two very different stages, connect with each other by means of the shock value of the conceit used. While death is openly mentioned in "Valediction," "Bait" only hints at it by the activity of fishing. These conceits then bring death and love in close proximity with each other, providing both poems with an added shock dimension.
John Donne's "The Canonization" begins relatively simply, as a familiar lyrical ode to his mistress. Gradually it deepens in meaning while approaching the final verses, where Donne reveals the true complexity of his vision of love. "The Canonization" is undoubtedly still a love poem; it revels in theatrical descriptions of the love he and his beloved share. But there are also many layers of meaning and irony behind the words
The Holy Sonnet 'Death be not Proud' (Complete Poetry 283-4) seems to show Donne's mind grappling anew with the reality of death in the wake of his wife's demise. The form of the poem gives an impression of thinking aloud, as if the reader overhears the poet's thoughts as he engages directly with death in an attempt both to cut it down to size and to understand its true nature
" (Lines 5-7) the metaphor of the poet being like a battered and invaded town that is impinged upon by outsiders yet still strives to let in the saving forces suggests both a medieval castle and the poet's divided alliances between the world (evil) and God (good). The second half of the poem creates further parallels the relationship of the poet to God. The next metaphor, after the castle, suggests that
The poem emotionally appealing and with such invigorating language, is easily translatable as a sermon. The reader could easily manipulate the tone of the poem with slight incensed articulation by accenting the poem as horrifying, delightful, spiritually persuasive or even amusing tone. Throughout the reading of this sonnet, despite its recognition towards God, the sonnet still mimics the consistency Donne always had in his poetry. Consider the plethora of
Metaphysical Poetry of John Donne Donne's life and work are filled with occurrences that are reflected as paradoxical images in his work. The secret marriage with his wife, Ann for example resulted in Donne's imprisonment as a result of the disapproval of her father. Donne also loses his powerful political position as a result of this and years of financial hardship follow. The couple is however extremely happy together and
Poem Analysis Essay: “The Ecstasy” by John Donne John Donne is one of the celebrated poets, in the area of love. The poem “The Ecstasy” is one of the most renowned poems written by John Donne, which conveys the author’s distinctive and progressive notions regarding love. The poem explicates the perspective that untainted, divine or real love is existent solely in the union of souls instituted by the physical. From Donne’s