Read the poem below. Analyze the conceits and metaphors.
How does it contribute to the tone?
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
by John Donne
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 the 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 refined
That our selves 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 fixed foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if the other do;
And though it in the center 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 the other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begun.
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At first I didn't understand the poem, so I looked up the conceit and re- read the poem again so I could understand how it affects the tone. The conceit in the poem is Donne's comparison of a noble man death(lines 1-4) to the separation of a significant other. He makes this metaphor to show that when a noble man dies he goes silently and with great joy, and with the separation of a significant other, he expresses the sweetness in separation by emphasizing the need to leave but not want to separate from the woman he loves. This gives the poem a very somber tone at first but once you begin access it in context and think about the underlying meaning, Donne trying to the reader see the necessity in things painful like a break-up and death, because there can be peace in both of these things. This gives "Valediction" a joyful tone because of the optimism in Donne's syntax and diction.
ReplyDeleteThe poem's metaphors and conceits contributes to the poem's tone greatly. The uses of the metaphors such as the earthquake and compass help strengthen the author's claim that if it is true love separation will not have a great affect.
ReplyDeleteThe author uses earthquakes to show that to some separations may frighten people but if its true love the separation will not scare them.
The use of gold is used to show that gold wears thin sometimes but it doesn't break apart.
The compass it used to show that if the love is true just like a compass they will show each other the direction back home. They are both part of a whole and complete each other.
The conceit of this poem is separation. The author shows that separation may be frightful but if love is true no matter how large the cracks or how thin it may wear, you two will always be together and will always complete each other.
This poem talks about the the ideal statement of spiritual love. There is a sequence of metaphors that descibe the way of looking at their separation will help them avoid the mourning which is the poem's title. While the conceit is that the two of them possess a single soul and can not be divided or have permanently connected to each other. Another example of a metaphysical conceit is Lines 1-4 because it compares a noble man's death to the separation of lovers.Although he might also be suggesting that their separation will be like a small death to him. Still, he asks his love that they part quietly and melt instead of split because the image of melting together suggests they might still be connected in liquified form. Donne used metaphors to explain how the speaker remained untied with his lover when they are apart. They remain as one regardless pf the distance between them. The poem had an acceptance of the separation, dignity and geniuineness of the love, displays loyaly to his wife, so the tone is so tender that he is a husband devoted to his wife.
ReplyDeleteChanelle Green
The poem was confusing and I honestly didn’t get it at first. I think the conceit was about separation and that was supposed to make readers think about how death separates people from their loved ones. A lot of the time metaphysical poetry is confusing so I’m never sure if I’m saying the right thing or not, but I think that this time I have it right and Donne does an extended metaphor about separation to talk about death.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Dominique. The metaphors in this poem are outstanding. i didnt understand the poem at first, I had to re-read it twice. This poem can relate in many ways, it shows how seperation can scare people but no matter what may happen, true love never leaves. The main points that stand out to me is seperation and love. The poem reminds us that though we may feel sad about the death of someone of a lost relationship period, love will never fade. You may not physically see the person but because you have the faith and love you will ALWAYS feel near to them.
ReplyDeleteKhalia Price
The conceit in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne is lines 1-4. These lines contribute to the tone of the poem because it sets the tone and gives the reader an idea of how the poem will flow and the topic. The speaker speaks with passion throughout the poem but especially when he says the metaphor. John Donne sending a message through the poem and that is the need to understand the agony of a break up and a death because both of these subjects can end in peace.
ReplyDeleteNayali Lopez-Spears
Ap , Per.2
After reading the poem once i didnt understand it, and couldnt remember any of it. After reading it again you see that the poem is full of elaborate metaphors that discuss death and "crossing over" to the other side without using those words to describe how these souls look at it . The metaphors and conceits contribute to the tone because the poem is written in a somber tone to describe how the souls feel about death .
ReplyDeleteDevin NeShay Davis .
With reading the poem a few times and looking over what others got from the poem I would have to say the conceit of he poem deals with separation and loving a person. The metaphors used such as the earthquake showing the separation and how some love just cant handle being separated was a good way of painting that image. Also, the comparison of their love to a "twin compass" helped to paint an image of how insink they are with their soul and feelings. The author’s analogies helped to paint what he was trying to get the reader to get. Even though, it took me a few reads to get what he was trying to say once caught it became easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteLeilani Jefferson
Period 2
when reading the poem i beileve it is about like consumating with his lover or wife , what stuck out was that he describes their love as " Our two souls therefore, which are one,
ReplyDeleteThough I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion.
Like gold to airy thinness beat."
when they do share their love , it is magical , it is nothing like it.
i understood what the poem mean but not the diction of it , to me it was a two way street and i was stuck in the middle the usage of the words in the poem are very vague and could mean anything.
Jaisha Martin
Per 2
The overall tone of this poem is kind of peaceful. The extended metaphor is the comparison of a break-up needing to be as easy as the passing of virtuous men. I think that the author is trying to tell the person that he is in a relationship with that they need to go their separate ways but he can't let her go.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Rhodes
Per. 2
The first time I read the poem i didn't understand it. The only thing I could figure out was that Donne was talking about someone he loved. After reading it again I thought that Donne had a longing tone. He seemed like he was longing for his love's love. The conceits and metaphors in the poem also made me think this but they also made me think that there was either a break up or someone had died.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Im sorry that this was posted late
The first time I read through this poem, I read it outloud because I thought it might help me understand it. It didn't. All I could tell was that Donne's conceit is about love, death and serparation. As I reread it, I figured out that the conceit is death he is saying that if you love someone enough, earthquakes [which is also a metaphor symbolizing natural separation] and death will not separate you. The conceit contributed to the poem greatly. It starts off somber, and once it is reread and understood a little more, a more uplifting, joyful tone is set.
ReplyDelete-- Devyn Anderson-Stover
ReplyDeleteThe poems conceit deals with separation, and the fact that if you love some one no amount of trials and tribulations can detour you from that love. He used an earth quake as a metaphors to show the separation between couples,and how if the couple doesn't have true love then they there relationship will end. Overall the tone of the poem was both kind and harsh, however I don't really under stand the diction of the poem.
ReplyDeleteTelllis Frank
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