Summary of A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

John Donne

John Donne is famous for his metaphysical poetry. The poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" was written in 1611. When Donne was about to travel to France and Germany, he wrote this poem for his wife Ann as a valediction, or farewell speech. This poem is famously claimed as a metaphysical poem. The term “metaphysical” means preoccupation with philosophy. The metaphysical poetry is famous for its startling images and conceits (an imaginative or fanciful comparison or metaphor).  Metaphysical poets see resemblances in things which are unlike. They often use complex and concrete metaphors to look at complicated metaphysical ideas—such as love, death. For example in “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” Donne brings out the metaphysical elements thus 1) Spiritual love is compared to the death of a holy man. 2) Love is compared to pure gold. 3)  parallel between the relationship of his and his lady’s soul to the coordinated movements of the compasses.

          Throughout the poem the speaker describes the nature of love he and his wife share. He states that real love cannot be defeated by distance and it does not end at the thought of being separated. The poem concludes with the belief that real love is powerful and unbeatable. It proves that love is the central theme of the poem.

The poem is in 9 stanzas using many poetic devises. The first stanza begins with a metaphysical conceit. It is an extended simile that compares the death of virtuous men to the separation of the lovers. The poem begins with describing how virtuous men die. As they lived with good qualities they are not afraid of death. They encourage their souls to leave their bodies and die "mildly". They die so quietly that their friends gathered around the deathbed argue on whether they are still alive or not. The poet tells his lady love that like the wise men they too should accept their separation silently with no tears or sighs. If they weep or sighs, it would be disrespectful to 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 that means exaggerated statements. Here tear is compared to flood and sigh is to tempests).

Donne contrasts disturbance on earth with those in heaven. The earthquakes destroy buildings; create natural calamities, killing thousands of people. But the movement of the trepidation of the spheres is so great and powerful compared with the earthquake. It is so silent and does not create any destruction. Similarly the spiritual love between the narrator and his ladylove is very strong compared with the earthly love of ordinary people. The ordinary lovers love in their senses and not in their spirit. So they need physical touch for their love. The word ‘absence’ is used as ‘not being present’. It means that ordinary lovers’ do not get sensual pleasures and therefore their life is very dull. Therefore when such lovers get separated, their love decreases and fades like the moon. On the other hand the spiritual lovers do not need the presence of each other. The poet says that their love is not based on sensual satisfaction. As it is a pure love that even they themselves cannot define it. As they feel confident in their love, their physical separation—the absence of eyes, lips, and hands—causes them less worry.

The speaker of the poem tells his lady love that their souls are one in the spirit and inseparable. Their true love is compared to pure gold (simile). When gold is hammered, it does not break but it expands to thin air and becomes invisible. The comparison of true love to pure gold is quite unlike subjects. Similarly their love will not break but expand by keeping them together during their separation.

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 bends 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.