A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Poem by John Donne
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
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 laity 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 ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assured of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.
Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airy thinness beat.
If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two;
Thy soul, the fix'd foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if the' other do.
And though it in the centre sit,
Yet when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that 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.
I think this beautiful poem is very sad. When the spiritual and the physical join, that is sustenance, the perfect golden circle.
Metaphysical poems of John Donne are well known in literary circle. The imagery of compass expressing the idea of two lovers in union is wonderful indeed!
FOUR: Donne reassures his beloved that their souls are always united, even when they are physically apart.
THREE: The poem also touches on themes of separation and reunion, emphasizing that parting should not be a cause for sorrow if the love shared is deep and true.
TWO: Donne uses metaphysical conceits and intricate metaphors to convey that genuine love is not dependent on physical proximity but is a profound, spiritual bond that can withstand any distance
ONE: This poem goes about the enduring nature of true love, which transcends physical separation and remains spiritually connected.
CONGRATS being chosen again by Poem Hunter and Team as The Classic Poem Of The Day! TOP Marks!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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3/31/2025 6:18:31 PM # 1.0.0
What Donne elevates in this poem is the marriage of true minds. A relationship based on sensual attraction is vulnerable to absence, but a relationship based on a love which is not dependent on the senses is stronger. What a pity that those who give such a poem low marks cannot be asked to justify themselves.