A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning
John Donne
John Donne
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 layetie 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 refin'd
That we ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assured of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.
Our two soules therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airey thinness beat.
If they be two, they are two so
As stiffe twin compasses are two,
Thy soul the fixt 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 it 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.
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 layetie 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 refin'd
That we ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assured of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.
Our two soules therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airey thinness beat.
If they be two, they are two so
As stiffe twin compasses are two,
Thy soul the fixt 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 it 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.
Oh, for the days of poetic devices! the conceit, the metaphor, the old (olde?) english spelling.
Two varieties of love in this poem: of the body or of the mind... of the body lovers need to be physically close to one another, otherwise their affection vanishes.
Donne's love is of the mind - untouched by distance and earthly concerns. Lovers of the mind live in a world of their own making.
The two lovers are like the two points of a compass. One point controls the other, and vice versa... Thy soul the fixt foot, makes no show, To move, but doth, if the'other do...
despite time, distance, strife, earth, heaven, death - ultimately the two lovers end where they begin: together.
I've only felt this way about one person.
How many loves do you think someone has in a lifetime?
10 comments:
my favorite John Donne quote:
"love, based on beauty, soon as beauty, dies"
I remember studying John Donne in college. Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII...
"No man is an island. entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Beautiful words...
Thank you for posting this poem, I had never read until now.
I think that this is, perhaps, my favorite of all the poems you have posted thus far.
That's a difficult question to answer, but I'll attempt it:
One can argue "yes" or "no." Either argument leads to one true love. For example, if you love someone and they die, you may find another to love. However, you would love that person in a different way. That is not a bad thing, but since there would be a difference, then 'one love' would have to better match your personal definition and conception of "love." Therefore, one would have been a greater love. Although, I believe that one could, out of necessity, easily (or not) overlook this possibility.
My favorite story that conceptualizes this is James Joyce's "the Dead." Where Gretta confesses her childhood love for Michael Furey, the boy who used his remaining life to say goodbye to Gretta before she moved away, ultimately costing him his life. That was Gretta's truest conception of love, which her current love, Gabriel, does not match.
I haven't read the story in years, but from what I recall, it concludes with something similar to what Sonrie commented on: that "Gabriel's love for Gretta," apparently based on his fascination with her beauty and appearance, dies when compared with "michael furey's love." Of course, this story could be interpreted in many ways, but that's just my personal interpretation.
This poem gives me chills...I am hoping for one great love..actually, I know that will be all for me. I have loved before but it was not "great."
Well, if we only have one shot at love...I'm screwed. I'd like to think you'll know when it's the right person and the right time. :-)
I have loved many people in my life although there are only two who I consider to be "great loves". One is my husband whom I married a year ago and the other is the person I was living with when I was 21. Circumstances separated us and we were both young and had things to do - I realized only afterward that he would be the love of my life.
You may not realize, but I am sure you will have many loves in your lifetime, as we don't always find the right person right away. In a perfect world we may spend our life with our one true love - life, though, tends to be messy!
oh sweetie, i know how hard it is to miss your ex. trust me! but keep really busy, i find that helps tremendously. connect with good friends. keep your mind occupied with reading and learning. and kick the hell out of things! (hugs)
i think people get as many loves in their lives as they are willing to let in. some people are more open that way. in my 36 years on the planet i have had 1 true love so far. but i am open to another for sure.
I agree with all of you... and especially 1218: if you are open to new love, you will find it...
... I guess fear isn't part of that equation.
I'm happy you all liked the poem : )
i remember this from the feyks
John Donne is amazing. I do NOT think the poem is cheesy. I could read John Donne for HOURS on end, and then be high on old-fashioned love and pretty words.
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