The Good Morrow by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

 The Good Morrow by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Good Morrow is a metaphysical morning poem (aubade) by John Donne which was first published in his collection Songs and Sonnets in 1633. It is a secular love poem in which he compares love as a new religion the two lovers have founded. He compares himself and his lover with Seven Sleepers of Christian mythology. The seven sleepers is a myth of seven Christian children whom the Roman king Decius forced to renounce Christianity but they remained loyal to their faith. Ultimately, king Decius ordered them to be captured and left in a cave to die. In the cave, the seven Christian kids were trapped and they fell asleep. God protected them against all odds and they woke up again 200 years later.

So the poem has some interesting metaphysical conceit. John Donne also raises the astronomical progress of his times in this poem and he mentions the exploration of the New World.

Just like The Sun Rising, this poem is also an aubade and the poet brings the reader right into his bedroom where he and his beloved are just waking up after a calm sleep. Here also, John Donne uses conceit as the poem suggests that their love has awakened them and has offered them a new life as if they were in deep slumber before coming to know each other. Now when they are together and have realized the true love within, it is like a new morning, and the poet greets his lover and readers with Good Morrow, which is an old manner of greeting good morning...

Structure of the Poem

While it is often considered as a sonnet, the poem is not in the standard form of sonnets. The poem has 21 lines with 3 stanzas having 7 lines each (heptet). The first six lines in each stanza are in iambic pentameter (with some exceptions) while the last line of each stanza is a little longer. The last line of each stanza is in an iambic hexameter. John Donne has used alliteration, assonance, and caesura at various places in the poem. The rhythm scheme of the poem is ababccc which is quite unusual. The poet offers his idea in the first four lines while the last three lines of each stanza have been used to offer confirmation or conclusion.

Summary of The Good Morrow

I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I

Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?

But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?

Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?

’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.

If ever any beauty I did see,

Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

John Donne often expressed a strong idea of love in his poems. For him, love was heat, fire, growth, or progress, unity, alchemy, a whole living organism, the whole universe, and a new sacred religion. Donne begins the poem right in his bedroom where the poet and his beloved just got up after a calm sleep. The poet asks himself and his beloved a puzzling question that takes the reader into the poet's mind. The language is old English, thou means you, and ‘by my troth’ means in all honesty or truth. The question appears after the enjambment in the second line. The poet asks what kind of life were he and his beloved leading before they fell in love and became lovers.

The poet further asks, “Were we not weaned till then?” weaned means to be influenced from a situation or early age here. The poet suggests that before the two lovers met and became lovers, they were not mature but childish, as if they were babies sucking their mothers' breasts. Thus, before falling in love, the two of them were just like infants. The poet further asks that weren’t the two lovers just wasting their life childishly on cheaper sensualities and immature sexual pleasure before realizing the true love.

In the next line, the poet offers a strong allusion to Christian mythology. He suggests that before falling in love, they were asleep, like the Seven Sleepers who continued to sleep for 200 years after the Roman king Decius imprisoned them in a sealed cave. So the poet says that both of them were asleep until they fell in love. Love woke them up and love became their true religion.

The poet poses his idea about love in these first four lines (quatrain).

In the next three lines, the poet affirms his assertion about love. ‘Twas So; but this...’

The poet says that they were childish and were sleeping before they fell in love as if they were just dreaming. Donne says that even before experiencing true love, he got everything of beauty that he desired, but all of it was false as a dream, it wasn’t real.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere.

Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,

Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,

Let us possess one world, each hath one and is one.

The poet concludes that they were not alive or were just in deep slumber before falling in love in the first stanza. Now when love has awakened them, the poet begins the second stanza by greeting good morning to himself and his beloved. So the poet suggests that love has brought them a new beginning, a new life, a new morning.

In the second line, the poet asserts the wholeness of their love. There is no fear nor doubts as to both lovers equally care for each other and are true to each other. The poet says that now the two lovers see the whole world with a new vision of love as love controls all their sights. He brings upon the philosophical idea of ‘A Man is a Universe in Himself.’ They see the world through love and their little bedroom is a whole microcosm in itself. But since their love is Universal and pervades all, their microcosm is equivalent to the whole macrocosm.

In the next line, Donne uses the metaphor and suggests that since the two lovers are a whole new universe in themselves which requires a great exploration and new discoveries, it is equivalent to the exploration of the New World (or America) which was in vogue during his time. Furthermore, Donne was also aware of the new astronomical ideas of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo (that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa). In the 16^th century, exploration of new lands on earth and alien world in the sky were gaining momentum and Donne uses this fact in his poem. He suggests that while the two lovers are a whole universe within themselves, they possess a new world or universe of love together which is now ready to be explored and revealed.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;

Where can we find two better hemispheres,

Without sharp north, without declining west?

Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

Donne begins the third stanza while expressing his closeness with his beloved. The two lovers gaze into each other’s eyes and they can see the reflection of each other as if they are one. This shows the strength of the bond between the two lovers. The poet further poses a question and asks (where can we find two better hemispheres). The poet suggests that their eyes and face are two hemispheres of a single entity, a single whole circle of love. These hemispheres are specific with no sharp north. Donne offers imagery of the earth here. Unlike earth, the hemispheres of their love world don’t have a sharp north and hence, it is warm throughout everywhere, nowhere cold. What the poet means is that their love is constantly warm with no dips. He further says that there is no declining west in their whole sphere of the love of which the two lovers are hemispheres. The sunsets in the west, but since their love world has no declining west, their sun of love is always rising.

In the next three lines, Donne offers the conclusion that their love is eternal and it has united the two lovers as if they are one and equal with no difference. Donne uses alchemy here and suggests that a person dies because of the imbalances of fluids in his body (it was a renaissance idea of the 16th-17th century). Since their love has no imbalance, it is equally mixed and it makes the two lovers united as single, hence non of the lovers can feel weak or diminish, they are eternal as their love which will never die. In the last stanza, the poet suggests that while the lovers were in slumber before they met and fell in love, but now love has awakened them and they are fully conscious as love has miraculously awakened their souls and joined them to become one. Donne compared love with religion here again and indicates that their love is like that explained by Paul the Apostle who claimed that true love and full awakening is possible only in heaven.

The Good Morrow is similar to Donne’s other poem The Sun Rising that we have already discussed. Both these are secular poem presents Donne’s theory of love. For Donne, love is a consciousness of souls which unites two souls and makes them whole.

We will continue to discuss some other important works by John Donne. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

Death Be Not Proud by John Donne | Holy Sonnet 10 Summary, Analysis, Explanation

 Death Be Not Proud by John Donne | Holy Sonnet 10 Summary, Analysis, Explanation

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Death Be Not Proud is a metaphysical poem by John Donne that has been written in the structure of a sonnet. It has 14 lines with a rhythm scheme of ABBA ABBA CDDC AA. The poem was first published (posthumously) in 1633 after John Donne’s demise. This sonnet has religious connotations and it has been included in Donne’s Holy Sonnets or Divine Meditations. Holy Sonnet is a collection of religious sonnets that were written by John Donne. There are 19 such sonnets and Death Be Not Proud is sonnet number 10.

Death be Not Proud has 4 stanzas, the first three stanzas have four lines each while the last stanza is a doublet with two lines.

Sonnets are often written in praise of a loved one. But this is a holy sonnet that is inspired by Christian theology.

Summary

John Donne personified Death in this poem to offer his philosophy of life and death. In the beginning, the poet warns the death and commands ‘him’ not to feel pride in his powers. The poet suggests that while the death thinks that he has eliminated his victims, the fact is that the death just offered those tired souls some relief to rest.

In the first stanza, the poet criticizes death and warns him against feeling pride in his powers. The poet suggests that death is not in command rather he is a slave to other forces like chance, fate, kings, and desperate men. Desperate men are those who being cowardly, take their own lives to run away from worldly sufferings and responsibilities.

The second stanza is in contrast with the first as the poet praises death for its good qualities. The poet suggests that death doesn’t eliminate, but he offers rest and relief to its victims who are tired of life. Death offers a sound sleeping bed. In the third stanza, the poet again condemns death and suggests that even drugs like charms and poppy can offer the desired relief.

In the last stanza, the poet further condemns death while predicting the end of death itself by stating, ‘Death, thou shalt die.”

John Donne wrote this poem when he was suffering from Typhoid and the dangers of death. He contemplated and penned his thoughts in the form of this poem whose first line resembles the opening of another contemporary poem “Death be not proud, thy hand gave not this blow” which was written by Lucy Harrington Russel, Countess of Bedford. Lucy was a patron of John Donne.

Line by Line Explanation

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

Line 1-2

The poem starts with the bold and commanding stance of the poet. Donne personifies the death and addresses it as a man. The poet commands death not to feel proud as while many people consider death as dreadful, strong, and mighty,

When a poet addresses a person or thing who is not present or cannot respond, then it is known as ‘apostrophe’. John Donne offered one of the finest examples of Apostrophe in this sonnet. He personifies the death itself as a guy in a black hood with a sickle in his hand.

John Donne wrote this poem in such a manner that it appears as a direct confrontation between the Death personified and the poet. The readers are just eavesdropping on this interesting conversation.

Line 3-4

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

The poet confronts Death and tells Him that though Death considers Himself mighty with the power to kill people, this is false. He further humiliates Death and shows pity by addressing Him as ‘poor Death.’ Donne used the term ‘overthrow’ for killing. What he means is that Death feels that He revolted against the king Life and took Life’s empire. However, Donne says that the victims of Death don’t actually die, nor Death can kill the poet. The first stanza ends here.

Line 5-6

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

In the second stanza, the poet explains how Death is being fooled. John Donne introduces the philosophy and specifically the idea of Christian eternity which suggests that while Death thinks that He killed people, but it is just a way through which people pass through to a new eternal life. The poet says that while Death thinks that it killed people, He only induces rest and sleep for His victims who ultimately attain the new eternal life. It resembles the Hindu philosophy of the Eternal soul. Death is just a process through which a soul changes its cloth (body). The poet further ridicules Death by claiming that while He thinks he is causing suffering to His victims, He only brings, rest, sleep, comfort, and pleasure. The poet says that rest and sleep are the pictures of Death. Since both rest and sleep bring comfort, pleasure, and rejuvenation to a tired body, the poet says that Death only brings pleasure to a person when Death meets him.

Comparing Death with sleep or eternal rest is a classical Christian metaphor that has been used many times. For example, Saint Augustine wrote that he won’t know what rest is really like until he rests with God in Heaven. As a matter of fact, the poem is convincing the readers that they should not be afraid of death. Let us suppose a person is afraid of trying sky-diving, so his friends may suggest to him that there is nothing to worry about as sky-diving is just similar to a super-fun rollercoaster ride. In the same manner, the poet is suggesting that Death is nothing but sleep and eternal rest that brings ultimate pleasure.

Line 7-8

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

The poet says that the best men or the most cherished persons follow Death as they need to rest their bones and free their souls from worldly pain and sufferings. Donne used the word ‘delivery’ to express freedom as it offers the idea of rebirth or new life after death. Thus he brings upon the idea of Christian Afterlife here.

These lines can be understood by considering the situation of Army men. Only a few people chose to be a soldier as they are ready to go to war and die. Donne declares that the best men volunteer themselves to meet the Death as they know they will be having greater pleasure in the Afterlife. This may remind you of the idea of Jehad or Crusades.

Line 9-10

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

In Petrarchan sonnets, poets often offer a sharp U-turn from the tone of previous stanzas, and here too, the poet changes his tone. In the second stanza, the poet was actually praising death, suggesting that He offer pleasure, rest, and peace for the best men. The poet begins attacking Death again in the third stanza and calls Him a slave.

The third stanza begins with the explanation of the real position of Mr. Death in the poet’s eyes. The poet says to Death that He is not in a commanding position, rather, he is just a minion, a slave to other forces. The poet names those forces as Fate, Chance, kings, and Desperate Men. What the poet means is that Death cannot decide whom to offer death (or rest and sleep in eyes of the poet) as this is decided by the fate of a person, or a person dies by chance.

Fate and Chance are exactly opposing concepts. Fate means determinism, nobody can escape fate. However, Chance is totally indeterministic. Chance means luck, the idea that things or events can happen out of turn or for no particular reason.

Another force that the poet mentions are the Kings who rule death sentences. The fourth force mentioned is ‘Desperate Men’, people willing to end themselves. They can be failure men with suicidal tendencies, or highly spiritual men ready to give up their bodies to meet God in the afterlife. Donne suggests that such desperate suicidal men are losers. In the 10^th line, he further castigates Death and claims that Death has foolish friends who indulge in drugs, poison, war, and sickness. Again, Donne personified Poison, War, and Sickness as friends of Mr. Death. The common thing in poison, war, and sickness or pandemic is that all these three things kill many people and thus accompany Death.

Line 11-12

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?

John Donne compared death with rest and sleep in lines 5-6 and suggested that Death is even better than sleep as it offers the pleasure of Afterlife. Here, the poet takes a U-turn and says that Death is not at all required. The poet suggests that one doesn’t need to die to attain rest and sound sleep for their body and soul. He may simply use poppy (opium) or magic charms (drugs) to have a sound sleep.

In lines 5-6, the poet was actually praising Death as it offers pleasurable Afterlife. But here, the poet is engaged in insulting Death. The poet is willing to disregard the happiness of Afterlife as sound sleep can also be attained through opium and poppy makes people feel ecstasy or extreme happiness too. The poet suggests that poppy or magic charms can offer more happiness and better sleep than Death. The poet uses the word ‘stroke’ which can either be a gentle stroke like that of patting some child’s head in praise and affection, or it can be a brutal violent stroke of a sword, like that of a stroke by a soldier against an enemy soldier. The poet then questions Death why it feels so proud and swells in pride when it is clear that poppy and magic charms can do a much better job? The third stanza ends with this rhetorical question.

Line 13-14

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

In the last stanza, that is, in lines 13-14, the poet again brings upon the Christian idea of death. According to Christian theology, death is just like a long slumber. When a person dies, he enters in deep sleep, and just before the end of the world, that is on Judgement Day, Christians believe that Christ will wake up all and will take all good souls to Heaven where they all will enjoy eternal life. In a way, the poet accepts Death and suggests that it is nothing but a deep slumber that will appear very short when he will be raised by Jesus at the end of the world. When Apocalypse happens, Jesus takes all good souls to Heaven to enjoy eternal life and hence, there isn’t any more death in Heaven. Thus, the poet offers his final verdict, ‘Death thou shalt die.’

This is it for today. We will discuss another important work by John Donne in the next video. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and regards.

The Canonization by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

 The Canonization by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Canonization is one of the most talked-about love poems by John Donne which was first published in 1633 in the first edition of his collection Songs and Sonnets. John Donne was the pioneer Metaphysical Poet who made rich use of metaphors, conceit, paradoxes, ambiguity, and wordplay in his poems. Generally, metaphysical poets ridiculed and parodied love, especially platonic love. In this poem, however, John Donne praises his and his beloved’s love and compares it with worship. He mentions the two lovers as saints and martyrs of love. The poet addresses a friend in this poem who objects to his love affair with his beloved. John Donne was in love with Anne Moore and later married him. She was his employer’s daughter and this relationship harmed his career and brought disrepute and poverty to him but the two remained together in love, till the death of Anne Moore.

Structure of The Canonization

The poem has 45 lines in 5 stanzas. Each stanza has 9 lines. The first line of each stanza begins with the word ‘Love.’ and the last line of each stanza ends with ‘Love.’ All nine lines of each stanza are metered in iambic lines with a constant pattern. The first, third, fourth, and seventh lines of each stanza are in Pentameter, the second, fifth, sixth, and eighth lines follow tetrameter, while the last, ninth line is in trimeter. So, the metric stress pattern of each stanza is 545544543. The rhyming scheme of the poem is ABBACCCAA. The tone of the poem is sardonic, forceful, witty, and serious. The term canonization refers to the Christian process by which people are induced into sainthood. The poet suggests that he and his beloved are now saints of love.

Summary of the Canonization

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.

The poem begins with ‘For God’s sake’ which sets the tone of the poem as forceful, suggestive, and witty.

The poet is addressing an intruding friend or well-wisher who is objecting to his love relationship with his beloved. Apparently, his friend is complaining that the poet’s love affair is costing him his health and career. The poet is in a peevish mood and he retorts to the intruder by saying that he should do some appropriate work rather than objecting and keeping a check on him and his lover. He says that the intruder may make fun of his deteriorating health conditions and poverty, but he should not criticize his tendency to love. The poet then suggests some ways through which his friend may remain busy instead of disturbing him and objecting against his love affair. He says that the intruder may pursue some studies to improve his mind, or he may engage in making his own wealth. The intruder may get a job and a high place in society. The poet says that his friend may join the court and be acquainted with the King where he will either come to know the real face of the king, or he will get too many coins with the king’s face stamped on them. He then suggests his friend contemplate on his future action and choose one so that he may not disturb and object to the poet’s love again.

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.

In the second stanza, the poet raises some rhetorical questions to the intruder to prove that his love affair is not harming anyone, causing no disturbance to anyone. He asks, who is injured by my love? Has my love affair caused any ship to drown? Do my tears in love cause a flood on the ground? Obviously, it is outrageous to think that love will cause such disasters. He further asks, has the warmth raised by love in his blood ever caused anyone's death plague? Or, does the cold inflicted by his lover on his body forces spring to go away soon?

After putting forth these four rhetorical questions, the poet claims that though soldiers continue to fight in battles, dying and killing each other, though the lawyers continue to debate their litigations, proving a white as black and black as white, he and his beloved engage in love and their love doesn’t inflict anyone as the world continues turning as it always has. Everything is going as it is supposed to while he and his beloved continue to love. In this stanza, John Donne is parodying the professions of soldiers and litigators/lawyers.

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 phœnix 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.

In the third stanza, the poet says that his intruding friend may call him and his lover whatever he likes. Others may criticize them in whatever way they want as it doesn’t bother him or his lover. The two lovers are confident of what they are and they appreciate each other. The poet compares himself and his lover as two flies circling around the candles that may burn and kill them. Donne suggests that existence is short and he and his lover are content with it. He then compares themselves as tapers or candles. The burning of the candles causes their own demise and the poet realizes it. He says that the two lovers can be compared as an Eagle and Dove as both of them are violent and gentle and prey on each other in love. This offers religious imagery too as according to Renaissance idea, Eagle flies in the sky above the earth in heaven while the Dove transcends the skies to reach heaven. He further offers a mythological comparison and suggests that he and his lover have become one and in this union, they have become unsexed, both are one. While they appear two bodies, they are one as when together, they become neutrally fit. The poet again is indicating Christianity as they say in Christ, there is no male or female. He further brings the mystery of phoenix and suggests that as united lovers, he and his beloved are like phoenix, whose existence may appear short but they rise again from the dead and attain eternity.

Here John Donne uses conceit as he compares his physical love with platonic eternal love. Also, Donne has begun shaping the canonization of lovers.

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.

In the fourth stanza, the poet expresses the importance of himself and his beloved. He says that if life is too difficult for them as lovers, they are ready to face death but won’t part away. The poet further accepts that after their death, they may not be considered worthy by the worldly people and may fail to get a mention in books of History (chronicles). They may also not get grand tombs and legendry fables in their memories. Yet, they will be remembered in love sonnets. The poet accepts that their life is not as fit and grand as those of great ones who end up in “well-wrought urn’ and ‘half-acre tombs,’ but love sonnets and hymns will be written for them. Those love songs, sonnets, and hymns will offer them a greater audience and the couple will be canonized for love in this manner. The phrase ‘well-wrought urn’ later became famous when John Keats wrote his poem ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn.’

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!”

In the fifth stanza, the poet offers future prospects that he and his beloved will attain sainthood of love. People of the future generations will remember and invoke them as saints and say that you made each other your pilgrimage as for each of you, the other was a complete world. For others, love may appear as a furious passion but for these saints of love, it brought peace and bliss. As saints of love, you did the miracle of contracting the whole world in each other’s eyes. Observing the world from each other’s perspectives offered you a greater understanding of the world and life. The future generation will epitomize this loving couple, the poet and his beloved. People across countries, towns, and courts will pray to God to enable them to love just like the poet and his beloved does. The poet says that they are setting a pattern of love that the whole world can follow.

This is a metaphysical poem in which John Donne employed witty conceit. He compares the honest physical love between him and his beloved with the canonization of unworldly saints. The poem is full of knowledge and shows the intellect of the poet as he mentions various interesting mythical comparisons. John Donne also offers his theory of sexual metaphysics which suggests that a real and complete relationship between a man and a woman unsex them and make them one.

This is it for today. We will bring forth a summary and explanation of another interesting Metaphysical poem by John Donne. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

The Relic by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

 The Relic by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Relic is one of the most intriguing and intelligently carved metaphysical poems of John Donne which can be interpreted in several ways. The poem is full of conceit, intelligently put forth wit and imaginative metaphors. The poem has two sets of intelligently put comparisons or conceits. It is suggested that John Donne wrote this poem with his friend and benefactor Mrs. Magdalen Herbert in his mind as he mentions the name Magdalen in the poem itself as the poet’s platonic lover. However, The Relic, as the name suggests is specifically a spiritual love poem with a deep religious touch. Hence, the comparison appears more with the biblical Saint Magdalen who was the first to meet Christ on the morning of the original Easter in a garden near the tomb from where he rose from the dead.

In a way, the dead poet compares himself and his beloved as Christ and Lady Magdalen in future prospects. The poet is already dead in the poem and he is in his grave.

The Title The Relic

The Relic was first published in John Donne’s collection Songs and Sonnets which contain mostly secular poems. This poem may also be interpreted as a secular love poem that has nothing to do with religion. However, right from the title of the beginning to its end, John Donne used strong and effective religious imagery. Relic is something that remains even after someone’s death and serves as the memento of that person. Religious relics of saints and great people often become venerated items of spiritual importance. Often such religious relics are attached with some miracles. In the poem too, the poet talks about such relics that may become spiritually significant and he offers the list of miracles that his and his beloved’s relics already have performed.

Structure of the Poem

The poem has three stanzas with 11 lines in each stanza. The lines are in varied iambic meters with no definite pattern. The 5^th and 7^th lines are shorter than others in all three stanzas.

Most of the lines are in iambic pentameter but there are many exceptions. The rhythm scheme of The Relic is aabbcddceee. The poet is dead who tells his love story after death as a first-person narrator and this provides an outworld feeling to the poem, yet, the poem appears lively and relatable. The poet suggests that his love for his beloved was so pure that in the future they will be revered as saints, miraculous lovers to be worshipped by people. The poet laughs about such possibilities as he says that he doesn’t believe in such miracles. Yet, he offers some insight into his relationship with his lover with whom he was engraved.

Summary of The Relic

When my grave is broke up again

Some second guest to entertain,

(For graves have learn'd that woman head,

To be to more than one a bed)

And he that digs it, spies

A bracelet of bright hair about the bone,

Will he not let'us alone,

And think that there a loving couple lies,

Who thought that this device might be some way

To make their souls, at the last busy day,

Meet at this grave, and make a little stay?

The poem begins with the dead poet describing a situation after his death. A long time has passed and it is presumed that his body has been decomposed. Thus, people dig his grave to use it again to bury a dead body of a woman who recently died. However, the poet’s dead body wasn’t alone in that grave but along with him, his beloved was also buried in the same grave. The gravedigger when breaks his grave, observes a bone wrapped in a bracelet or ring of bright white hair. The grave digger assumes that this must be a grave of a loving couple who died together and were buried together so that they may remain together after death. The poet posits whether the gravedigger leaves them alone, or will he introduce the new guest, a ghost or a dead body of a woman in that grave. The poet suggests that women are often considered to share their bed and man with other women. Here, the poet is actually not castigating women as promiscuous, rather he suggests that men are promiscuous and can have more than one woman in their bed. However, the poet is in true love with the woman he was buried with. So he wishes the gravedigger to leave them alone and not force a new guest or ghost into the same grave.

The limb bone of the poet and the bracelet of hair of his beloved are the two relics. The grave is too old and it wasn’t supposed to have any remnant of the dead bodies buried in them. Yet, the hair is Bright as lively and the bone is intact, this is a miracle as the poet suggests.

John Donne employed double alliteration in Line 6 and it makes it the punch line of the first stanza.

“A bracelet of bright hair about the bone” (br, br, b, b, b)

It is a device by which the loving couple declares their loyalty even after death. John Donne employed a deep conceit here as he compares his bone and his lover’s hair with that of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. In the 12^th century, it was rumored that the grave of King Arthur and his wife Queen Guinevere was found at Glastonbury, England. In that grave at Glastonbury, a presumed bone of a limb was found wrapped in a ring of yellow hair. While that hair appeared healthy, when the monks tried to pick that hair they turned into ashes.

John Donne uses that famous episode of King Arthur’s grave to offer conceit in the poem. However, he declares that he doesn’t believe in such miracles. Thus, he is actually refuting the rumor that the grave at Glastonbury was that of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. He is passing a negative judgment against superstitions and miracles.

If this fall in a time, or land,

Where mis-devotion doth command,

Then he that digs us up, will bring

Us, to the Bishop, and the King,

To make us relics; then

Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I

A something else thereby;

All women shall adore us, and some men;

And since at such time, miracles are sought,

I would have that age by this paper taught

What miracles we harmless lovers wrought.

In the second stanza, the poet attains a highly satirical tone. He continues to discuss the relics, the limb bone, and the bracelet of hair. In normal times when Reason supersedes belief, these relics will be ignored. However, if the remains of the poet and his beloved are found in such a time period when people pay less attention to reason and are engaged in devoting themselves to wrong things or perception, then the gravedigger will consider these relics as important. He will then inform the Bishop and the King about these relics, the hidden spiritual treasure that was just found.

In these lines, it appears that John Donne is criticizing Catholicism as a mis-devotion. The rumor of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere’s relics gained momentum during the Catholic years of England. However, John Donne is critical of both sects, Catholicism and Protestantism.

“Us, to the Bishop, and the King,”

He is anti-Catholic as he mentioned the supremacy of the Bishop. He is criticizing Anglicans too who maintained that the King is the supreme leader.

In such times of Mis-Devotion, the poet and his beloved, recognized by the limb bone and the hair lock will be considered as relics of some great saints of love. In the next line, Donne brings upon the conceit as he compares his beloved with Mary Magdalen, the Saint who was the first person to meet Christ after he took rebirth on the original morning of Easter. She was the witness of Christ’s crucifixion and burial and later on, she became the witness of Christ’s resurrection. Mary Magdalen was a sinner, a prostitute who later became an ardent follower of Christ and attained sainthood.

Since the poet is comparing his mistress to Saint Magdalen, he indirectly suggests that he will be considered no less than the Christ in such times of Mis-Devotion. However, people seek miracles and magic from such great saints. The poet wonders what sort of miracles he and his beloved can show while he knows that miracles don’t happen??

First, we loved well and faithfully,

Yet knew not what we loved, nor why,

Difference of sex no more we knew

Than our guardian angels do;

Coming and going, we

Perchance might kiss, but not between those meals;

Our hands ne'er touched the seals,

Which nature, injured by late law, sets free

These miracles we did; but now 'alas,

All measure and all language, I should pass,

Should I tell what a miracle she was.

In the third stanza, the poet suggests the miracles that he and his beloved really performed during their lifetime. The poet doesn’t believe in our worldly miracles but he suggests that what he and his beloved suffered and did were no less than miracles.

The first miracle that the couple performed was to love well, and remain loyal and faithful to each other. While they were in deep love, they never came to know, why they loved each other or for what. That is, they were in self-less love with no expectations from each other. The second miracle was that they didn’t love like men and women or of different sex. That is, their love was spiritual, it was asexual, it was not carnal affection. They love each other as if they were angels. He mentions that they might have kissed each other as coursey during their meals together. But they never hold their hands together nor broke the seals that maintain virginity. The poet mentions that all these were no less than miracles as true spiritual love is hard to attain.

In the last lines, John Donne hints that he not only compared his lover with Saint Mary Magdalen, but he was also remembering his benefactor and friend Mrs. Magdalen Herbert. He says that now when his beloved is no more to experience (while the poet himself is also dead), he has no words or language to describe how great, how miraculous his beloved was. This nuptial and Platonic love defies description and is beyond the powers of language and communication.

The Relic is one of the most complex poems by John Donne. In this poem, he describes his philosophy of spiritual love. He brings upon the themes of death, love, and religion. He is satirical against the superstitions and miracles, and the ills of religion. He makes jokes about superstitions and rumors related to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere and Saint Magdalen. While raising these grave serious issues in a poetic entertaining and delighting manner, John Donne succeeds in expressing his admiration for his benefactor and supporter Mrs. Magdalen Herbert.

This is it for today. We will discuss another noteworthy poem by John Donne in the upcoming video. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

Song Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

Go and Catch a Falling Star by John Donne | Summary, Analysis, Explanation

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Go and Catch a Falling Star is one of the rare poems by John Donne in which he didn’t use much-exaggerated hy[erbole extended metaphors or conceit.

John Donne intended it to be read and recited as a song and that is why he titled it as Song. Unlike his other love poems in which he has praised his beloved comparing them with extremes (like in The Sun Rising), this song appears to be a complaint against women as the poet says that it is impossible to find a flawless woman. John Donne says that it is impossible to find a beautiful faithful woman. He says that either all beautiful women are faithless or they are ugly and not worth considering.

Structure of the Poem

Song-Go and Catch a Falling Star has three stanzas having nine lines each. The first six lines make a sestet while the last three lines make a triplet. The rhyming scheme is consistent throughout the song and it is ABABCCDDD. The poem has a humorous tone. The poet is annoyed by the inconstancy and faithlessness of women but he has adjusted with that. He complains about it in a light, hilarious and entertaining manner.

John Donne didn’t apply conceit in this poem. Yet, there is a comparison between some strange improbable things and acts to finding an honest beautiful woman of the poet’s liking. The poet is singing this song to a female opponent, challenging her for some tasks.

Summary of Go and Catch a Falling Star

Go and catch a falling star,

Get with child a mandrake root,

Tell me where all past years are,

Or who cleft the devil's foot,

Teach me to hear mermaids singing,

Or to keep off envy's stinging,

And find

What wind

Serves to advance an honest mind.

John Donn begins the first stanza with an imperative order ‘Go and Catch a Falling Star,’ that is, go and fetch a meteorite, which obviously is an impossible task. However, Donne suggests it as if it is possible. Then he talks about the Mandrak Root. In some mythologies and Fables, Mandrake took some human attributes. In some old drawings, Mandrake's root is depicted in either male or female human form. So in the second line, Donne asks to impregnate a mandrake root, have a child with it. The discussion of mandrake root continues as the mandrake plant bears flowers that turn into fruits known as the ‘Satan-Apple.’ Donne asks about who clefts the Devil’s or Satan’s foot. Also, it is impossible to know about the origin of time, where the time comes from and where does it go. But Donne orders to tell him about all the past years.

In the fifth line again, he continues with mythology and asks how the mermaids sing, how they can be heard. Mermaids are mythical creatures with the upper bodies of beautiful voluptuous women but instead of legs, mermaids have fishtails. Mermaids are not real, and hence it is also an impossible task. The last task given by Donne is to keep envy away, which is again impossible because envy is a part of human nature.

The poet believes that all these tasks explained above are impossible to achieve. Yet in the last three lines, he says that these tasks may be possible, the more difficult or impossible task is to find a beautiful honest woman.

If thou be'st born to strange sights,

Things invisible to see,

Ride ten thousand days and nights,

Till age snow white hairs on thee,

Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me,

All strange wonders that befell thee,

And swear,

No where

Lives a woman true, and fair.

In the second stanza, Donne continues to offer some seemingly impossible tasks, though they are not as extreme as those he mentioned in the first stanza. The poet says that if you have superhuman qualities, if you can see that is invisible to normal human eyes, if you can perceive the nature beyond perceivable, then travel to the far places of the Universe for ten thousand days and night. And after returning, when you will grow snow-white hairs as you will be aged, you must come to me and inform me about all the strange things and new world that you explored. Donne uses ‘thou’ which means you in repetition in the 14^th line as if he is teasing his female opponent. The poet believes that women are not faithful and lack constancy. Thus, he doubts his listener, the female opponent, being a woman will make her promise and return to tell him all the wonders she is expected to explore. He further says that even if she returns and reports to him, she will swear and inform him that there is no place where there lives a beautiful woman who is true and trustworthy.

Donne uses fair with true, what he means is that a woman who is not very beautiful can be true and trustworthy, but it is impossible to find a beautiful faithful woman.

In this stanza, John Donne is parodying the poetic theme of Eternal Love. He says that eternity is possible, eternal love is not because there is no true, trustworthy beautiful woman.

At face value, this poem appears a teasing love song, but in deep, John Donne is actually depicting and supporting the Age of Exploration. He is not only singing for the female opponent of his song, but for the sea voyagers and explorers too.

If thou find'st one, let me know,

Such a pilgrimage were sweet;

Yet do not, I would not go,

Though at next door we might meet;

Though she were true, when you met her,

And last, till you write your letter,

Yet she

Will be

False, ere I come, to two, or three.

In the third stanza, Donne continues to support his belief that there is no trustworthy beautiful woman. Yet, he appears convinced that his opponent may find a place where lives a true and beautiful woman during her exploration. She may inform him about that woman on her return and he will consider it as a pilgrimage because if there is such a place where lives a woman who is beautiful and truly hones, then to visit such a place is no less important than a pilgrimage.

However, Donne says that while he will believe his opponent's report of a beautiful true woman, but he will not go there to visit and meet such a beautiful trustworthy woman. He gives his reason for opting not to visit and meet such a lady. He says that even if the opponent offers him the true report, even if she actually found a beautiful woman who is trustworthy, it will take time for her to return back. During that time, because of the inconstancy of women, that true lady will also fall to corruption and deceit. The poet says that he will deny visiting such a supposedly trustworthy woman because a woman may sell her honesty and become dishonest by the time he reaches her.

This poem is different from other noteworthy Love Poems by John Donne. He appears to be a misogynist here. Yet, he berates the dishonesty of women in such a beguiling manner that his complaint also appears endearing. John Donne hasn’t used conceit in this poem but he managed to provide some enthralling comparisons. His choice of words and use of fables, mythologies, and the current happenings of his time fills this poem with knowledge. He mentions the exploration age of the Elizabethan era when sea voyagers were trying to find new routes to the Americas and East India for the hunt for gold and spices. This poem becomes immortal because exploration never ceases. During the 16^th century, people were celebrating the discovery of the New World, today people are excited and enthusiastic about space exploration and it will continue.

So this is it for today. We have discussed the summary of Song Go Catch a Falling Star with a proper and full explanation. We will continue to cherish a few more marvelous poems by John Donne. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!