John Donne's Love Poems

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that John Donne utilizes the techniques of imagery and metaphor to express feelings beyond comprehension in his love poems. The author points out that Donne is often referred to as a metaphysical poet, which means that his poetry, often a blend of passion and thought, was more intellectual than most poets of his time. The paper relates that the poet uses images such as a single teardrop or a compass to reinforce the theme that love is not only physical, but also spiritual.

From the Paper:

"The poet employs the use of a metaphor in the first stanza of this poem when he compares his lover's face to a stamping mill, which produces coins, which are tears that bear her image. He tells her, "By this mintage they are something worth" (Donne A Valediction: Of Weeping 4). This line indicates that because his tears are like coins, they are valuable aside from their obvious worth. The poet also tells his lover that the coins are "Pregnant of thee" (6). This image suggests that the poet's tears and perhaps his entire being are filled with images of his lover. As a result of this fullness, they are "Fruits of much grief" (7). Because they are full of her being, they cannot help but bring pain when associated with separation. In addition, when a tear falls and becomes separated from the eye, it represents another level of separation. This is an excellent example of how Donne utilizes fantastic ideas to make his point."

More papers on John Donne's Love Poems:

• Poem Review # 149547 : "John Donne: Metaphysical Deceit"
• Poem Review # 109999 : "Poetry of John Donne"
• Poem Review # 105083 : "Elizabethan and Early Seventeenth Century Love Poems"
• Poem Review # 100663 : "John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"

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