John Donne's Valediction

Essay

"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" shows many features associated with seventeenth-century
Metaphysical poetry in general, and with Donne's work in particular. As a Metaphysical poet, Donne expressed love in a particular way. Many of the characteristics of Metaphysical poetry are found in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." These include intellectual descriptions of emotions; unusual and often startling comparisons; paradoxical element; metaphysical conceit; and far fetched images. Like most poetry of Donne’s time, it did not appear in print during the poet’s lifetime. The poem was first published in 1633, two years after Donne's death, in a collection of his poems called Songs and Sonnets. The poem tenderly comforts the speaker's beloved at their temporary parting, asking that they separate calmly and quietly, without tears or protests. The speaker justifies the desirability of such calmness by developing the ways in which the two share a holy love, both sexual and spiritual in nature. Donne treats their love as sacred, elevated above that of ordinary earthly lovers. He argues that because of the confidence their love gives them, they are strong enough to endure a temporary separation.

A valediction is a speech or a poem of farewell, one that often carries with it some sense of foreboding. Although the title "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" might seem to suggest a dark, brooding theme, this poem is actually a love poem and it is a fine example of seventeenth century Metaphysical poem. This poem was written in 1611 as Donne was preparing for one of his frequent journeys away from his wife, Anne More. Donne's deep love for his wife is evident in the poem, which explains that the couple should not be sorrowful when they are apart from each other because their love binds them together, regardless of distance. The poem has an episodic beginning.