A-Valediction-Forbidding-Mourning

“AValediction:ForbiddingMourning”Donnewroteittohiswifein1611whenhewasabouttosetofftoFranceconductinggovernmentbusiness.Itwas1stpublishedin1633,2yearsafterDonne’sdeath,inacollectioncalledSongsandSonnets.“AValediction:ForbiddingMourning”Avaledictionisaspeechorapoemoffarewell,whichoftencarriessomeuncertaintyaboutthefuture.Thoughthetitlesuggestsadarktheme,itactuallyisalovepoem,andassuchitisafineexampleof16th-centuryMetaphysicalwit.IntroductionDonnetellshiswifenottobesad,askingforacalmseparation.Hejustifieshiswishbyshowingthattheyshareaholylove,bothsexualandspiritualinnature.Donne’scelebrationoflovehasoftenbeenreferredtoasthe“religionoflove,”akeyfeatureofhismanyotherpoems.ASvirtuousmenpassmildlyaway,Andwhispertotheirsoulstogo,Whilstsomeoftheirsadfriendsdosay,Nowhisbreathgoes,andsomesay,No.Soletusmelt,andmakenonoise,Notear-floods,norsigh-tempestsmove;'TwereprofanationofourjoysTotellthelaityourlove.Movingofth'earthbringsharmsandfears;Menreckonwhatitdid,andmeant;Buttrepidationofthespheres,Thoughgreaterfar,isinnocent.Dullsublunarylovers'love—Whosesoulissense—cannotadmitOfabsence,'causeitdothremoveThethingwhichelementedit.Butwebyalovesomuchrefined,Thatourselvesknownotwhatitis,Inter-assurèdofthemind,Careless,eyes,lipsandhandstomiss.Ourtwosoulstherefore,whichareone,ThoughImustgo,endurenotyetAbreach,butanexpansion,Likegoldtoairythinnessbeat.Iftheybetwo,theyaretwosoAsstifftwincompassesaretwo;Thysoul,thefix'dfoot,makesnoshowTomove,butdoth,ifth'otherdo.Andthoughitinthecentresit,Yet,whentheotherfardothroam,Itleans,andhearkensafterit,Andgrowserect,asthatcomeshome.Suchwiltthoubetome,whomust,Liketh'otherfoot,obliquelyrun;Thyfirmnessmakesmycirclejust,AndmakesmeendwhereIbegun.Themes1.Death•Death,athemecommontoDonne’spoem,isasignificanttheme.•Intheopeningstanza,heusesthisnotionofdeathasametaphorforhisdepartureonajourneythatwilltakehimawayfromhiswife.2.Love•Loveisanintegralthemetothepoem.Thespeakerremindshiswifethatanout-pouringofsadnessandemotionoverhisleavingwouldprofanetheirlove.Heusestheordinarylovetocontrasttheir“refined”love.Thus,herevealsthenatureof“religiouslove.”3.ReligiousFaith•Inlikeninghisdeparturetothedeathsof“virtuousmen,”hesuggeststhatpiousmendonotfeardeathbecausetheyknowthateternallifeawaitsthem.•Further,theirstrongfaithisalsousedasametaphorforDonne’sfaithinhisrelationshipwithhisbelovedwife.4.Science•Itispresentinreferencetoadrawingcompass,whichwasinvented2yearsearlier.Science,too,ispresentashereferencesthe“movingofth’earth”andthePtolemaicspheres.Scienceplaysarole,too,ashementionsthathislovewillexpand“likegoldtoairythinnessbeat,”referencingitsphysicalproperty.StyleDonneconstructsthepoemin9quartrains,usinga4-beat,iambictetrameterline.Therhymeschemeforeachstanzaisanalternatingabab.StyleThisformisuncharacteristicforDonne,whoofteninventedelaboratestanzaformsandrhymeschemes.Itssimplicitypermitsthereadertofollowthespeaker’scomplicatedargumentmoreeasily.“TheFlea”FleaswereapopularsubjectforhumorousandlovepoetryattheRenaissance,whichstemsfromaneventthathappenedinaliterarysalon.•Thesalonwasrunby2ladies,andonanoccasionafleahappenedtolandupononelady'sbreast.Thepoetswereamazedatthecreature'saudacity,andwereinspiredtowritepoetryaboutthebeast.“TheFlea”the17-centuryideaofsexwasasa“minglingoftheblood.”Itwasbelievedthatwomenbecamepregnantwhentheman’sblood(inhissemen)mixedwithherbloodduringsexualintercourse.1ststanza你瞧这跳蚤，并听我说，就那么一丁点事儿，你也忍心拒绝我；他先吸我的血，现在又咬你在跳蚤的体内，我们的血液交汇融合；你知道，这总不能说是罪孽，耻辱，神魂颠倒，失去少女的清白，然而它却能抛开甜言蜜语，尽情享受快乐，它两血变一，身体膨胀，心满意足，啊！就这么一点小事，我们也不愿意做。2ndstanza哎呀，手下留情，那可是三条性命，在那跳蚤内，我们几乎，啊不，而是超过了结婚。这跳蚤是你，是我，也是我们的婚床，我们婚姻的神圣庙宇。虽然父母们，还有你，都极力反对，我们却相拥于这黝黑的生命墙之内，虽然世俗观念要你把我摧毁，但那无异于自杀和亵渎神灵，那可真是三条性命，三大重罪。3rdstanza多么狠心，多么突然，无辜的鲜血是否把你的指甲染成紫色？这只跳蚤不过要你一口，它为什么竟然罪不可赦？然而你却得意洋洋，宣称你和我都没有因此而虚弱半分；的确如此，那么请看你的担心多么没有道理，如果你听从于我，你的贞洁将丝毫无损，正如跳蚤之死没使你受到损失。FormandMeterItconsistsofrhymingcoupletswiththerhymeschemeforeachstanzaasAABBCCDDD.Donnemakesiteasytoreadbyusingalternatingiambicpentameterandtetrameterlines-454545455.StyleDirectaddressImagery:religiousandsexualArgument:sophistry诡辩ToneDonneusesthefirst-personpointofviewtopresentaconversationbetweentwolovers.Thetone,atfirst,seemsalmostconversational;however,asthepoemprogresses,itbecomesthatofaskilledmasteroflogicandrhetoric.StyleDonneusesaskilledcombinationoftone,connotativewordsanddoublemeaning,imagery,figurativelanguageandmusicaldevicestotakethereaderintotheconversationofthetwolovers.