DONNES LOVE POETRY

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METAPHYSICAL POETRY OF JOHN DONNE
DONNES LOVE POETRY
The variety and scoe o! Donne"s #ove oetry is tr$#y re%ar&a'#e(
He osci##ates 'et)een hysica# cynicis% and !aith in #ove and
a'ove a## the sanctity and di*nity o! %arried #i!e( He is +$ite
ori*ina# in resentin* #ove sit$ations and %oods( Part#y they are
'ased on co%%on e,eriences o! his conte%oraries and art#y
on his o)n e,eriences(
His oe%s are entire#y di-erent !ro% the E#i.a'ethan #ove/#yrics(
He is $nconventiona# and ori*ina#( His #ove son*s are a '#end o!
sensi'i#ity and )it0 o! 1oy and scorn0 o! 'ea$ty and re$#sion(
Another ec$#iar +$a#ity o! his #ove oetry is its %etahysica#
strain )hich is evident in his scho#asticis%0 his *a%e o! $sin*
!antastic conceits0 his hyer'o#es and arado,es(
Donne"s treat%ent o! #ove is rea#istic and not idea#istic( He &no)s
the )ea&nesses o! the 2esh0 the #eas$res o! se, and the 1oy o!
secret %eetin*s )hi#e E#i.a'ethan #ove/#yrics are 'y #ar*e
i%itation o! the Petrarchan traditions( Donne"s #ove oe%s stand
in a c#ass the%se#ves( Donne"s #ove oe%s are entire#y
$nconventiona#( He rather %oc&s at the%( Donne is !$##y
ac+$ainted o! the Petrarchan %ode# )here )o%an is an o'1ect o!
'ea$ty0 #ove and er!ection( They se#do% dea# )ith the 1oy o! #ove
and the dee content%ent o! %$t$a# assion 3the on#y e,cetion
is Sha&eseare4( There are a#)ays ains and sorro)s o! #ove0 the
sorro) o! a'sence0 the ain o! re1ection0 the inco%ara'#e 'ea$ty
o! the #ady0 and here $n)averin* cr$e#ty( 5$t Donne treats s$ch
set the%es in a di-erent )ay( His $tter rea#is% !orces hi% to *ive
the sa%e i%ortance to)ards 'ody and so$#( He esta'#ishes a
re#ationshi 'et)een 'ody and so$# that hysica# #ove #eads to
sirit$a# #ove as in 6The E,tasie7( That is )hy 1oy is do%inant in
his oetry(
He *ives 'irth to ne) &ind o! #ove oetry( The #ove )hich he
ortrays is not i%assioned0 co$rt#y or chiva#ric0 '$t inte##ect$a#
#ove in )hich art #ays a redo%inant art( There are three
distinct strains in his #ove oetry0 cynica#0 the P#atonic and
con1$*a#(
Donne ana#yses the attit$des and %oods o! #ove( In his oe%s
)ith cynica# strain0 he !re+$ent#y d)e##s on the 8c&#eness o!
)o%en( His son*0 'e*innin* )ith *o and catch a !a##in* star ends
)ith a 'itter %oc&in* and cynicis%( Faith!$# )o%an does not e,ist
on this earth and i! there is0 she )i## rove !aith#ess even 'e!ore
the oet visits her9
Yet she )i## 'e !a#se0
Ere I co%e0 to t)o0 or three0
EASY LEARNING NOTES BY: MUHAMMD AAMIR SAEED
DONNES LOVE POETRY
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Then his oe% 6The Messa*e7 a#so #earns the cynica# strain
)hich starts )ith the sentence
6Send ho%e %y #on* strayd eyes to %e 6(
There is no P#atonis% here '$t 'itter satire a*ainst )o%en( Then
a*ain he is an*ry at )o%en"s in8de#ity )hen he says that *raves
a#so *ive #ace to %ore than erson as )o%en share their 'eds
)ith %ore than one %an 0in 6The Re#i+$e7
The second strain !o$nd in Donne"s #ove oetry is P#atonic( In
s$ch oe%s the oet has addressed to the Lady 5ed!ord and Mrs(
Her'ert( Here Donne adots the hoe#ess and adorin* ose o!
Petrarchan( His oe%s 6T)ic&na% :arden707The F$nera##70
6The 5#osso%e7 and 6The Re#i+$e7 are e,a%#es o! his
oe%s )ith P#atonic strain( Tho$*h )o%en in *enera# are !a#se
and !aith#ess0 the oet"s s)eetheart is an e,cetion(
A## %eas$re and a## #an*$a*e I sho$#d ass0
Sho$#d I te## )hat a %irac#e she )as; 3The Re#i+$e4(
The third strain in Donne"s #ove oetry is that o! con1$*a# #ove(
Most o! his son*s0 )ritten a!ter his %arria*e0 contain this strain(
The Anniversary )as )ritten to ce#e'rate the second anniversary
o! his )eddin*( Married #i!e &no)s no chan*e or decay( It is
i%%orta# and %$st contin$e even in the *rave(
Si%i#ar#y0 the son* 'e*innin* )ith <S)eetest #ove" is addressed to
his )i!e )hen the oet )as to $nderta&e !orei*n trave#( He 'ids
!are)e## to his )i!e cheer!$##y0 'eca$se this searation is
te%orary( This searation is #i&e a s#ee9
65$t thin& that )e0
Are )ho '$t t$rned aside to s#ee7
Another oe% = 6A va#ediction79 !or'iddin* %o$rnin* re!ers to a
te%orary searation( The oet co%ares the 1o$rney )ith the
t)o #e*s o! a co%ass0 one re%ainin* 8,ed and the other %ovin*
to co%#ete the circ#e(
>hat )e can conc#$de is that Donne"s concet o! #ove is rea#istic(
He accets that #ove is a %er*er o! so$#s '$t 'odies cannot 'e
i*nored(
6Love %$st not 'e0 '$t ta&e a 'ody too7
3Air and An*e#4
6Loves %ysteries in so$#s doe *ro)(
EASY LEARNING NOTES BY: MUHAMMD AAMIR SAEED
DONNES LOVE POETRY
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5$t yet the 'ody is his 'oo&e7( 3The
E,tasie4
Donne 'e#ieves in recirocated #ove
6Tho$ and I Love so a#i&e0
That none doe s#ac&en0 none can die
Hence recirocated #ove )hich accets the i%ortance o! 'odies
a#so is a #ove !or ever(
POINTS TO REMEMBER
The variety and scoe o! Donne"s #ove oetry is tr$#y
re%ar&a'#e
His oe%s are entire#y di-erent !ro% the E#i.a'ethan #ove/
#yrics
Donne"s treat%ent o! #ove is rea#istic and not idea#istic
He *ives 'irth to ne) &ind o! #ove oetry
oe%s )ith cynica# strain
Poe%s )ith P#atonic strain
Poe%s )ith Con1$*a# strain(
Conc#$sion
EASY LEARNING NOTES BY: MUHAMMD AAMIR SAEED