Experiencing the True Love of John Donne’s “A Valediction...

Departing from a lover might often seem painful; yet, it is precisely with the departures that one learns about the nature of true love. In the poem â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,† John Donne offers a beautiful insight into this subject. As he consoles his wife by asserting that their love is everlasting, the poet develops a theme that unifies the poem and allows the reader to identify his intention. The theme, therefore, is especially important as it serves as a central point around which all the other elements are structured. As John Donne explores the nature of unconditional love, he employs metaphors, symbolism, and tone as the three main elements that reinforce the theme and contribute to creating a poem that both moves and†¦show more content†¦Donne elaborates upon this idea in the fourth stanza as he states that the ordinary people’s â€Å"soul is sense† (line 14). By comparing their souls with the senses, Donne describes the imperfecti ons of a love based on physical attraction only. This metaphor takes the idea of soul into a physical sphere and, by doing so, illustrates what the author’s love is not. Donne asserts that their love is different because it is transcendental and deeper than sensations. Moreover, in line 23 the poet states that his departure will cause an â€Å"expansion† rather than a separation between them as they will remain as one. The simile in line 24 contributes to this metaphorical consideration as Donne draws comparison between their love and gold. As gold expands when it is beaten, their love will spread and be precious despite their separation; it will never break. By illustrating the eternal nature of their love, this line contributes to the theme of the poem and allows the reader to connect to the claim of true love. Finally, the most significant metaphor in the poem is found in the seventh stanza as Donne compares his love with a compass. In line 27, he suggests that his wife‘s soul is the â€Å"fixed foot† and therefore, as he asserts in line 30, he is the foot who has to â€Å"roam†; he is the one who needs to go. Though they need to be apart, they are joined at the top like the compass, so their love is connected at a spiritual level and can endure separation.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Annabel Lee By Edgar Allan Poe Essay1989 Words   |  8 Pageswisdom to know the difference.† The concept is that love is something magical and strong that can always however be lost; you have the power to choose what to gain from the experience. Basically when love is separated or broken you and only you can either decide to dwell on the sadness, or accept it and move on completely because of the reality that bad things can and will happen to everyone. In these two poems the theme shared is love and/or love after one has parted ways whether in life or in death;