CHRISTIAN LOVE V. HERNANDEZ DEC.

07, 2023
PROSE POETRY

LIFE OF JOHN DONNE

John Donne was born sometime between Jan. 24 and June 19, 1572, London, Eng.—died March
31, 1631, London. leading English poet of the Metaphysical school and dean of St. Paul’s
Cathedral, London (1621–1631). Donne is often considered the greatest love poet in the English
language. He is also noted for his religious verse and treatises and for his sermons, which rank
among the best of the 17th century. Donne was born of Roman Catholic parents. His mother was
the youngest daughter of playwright and epigrammatist John Heywood, and a direct descendant
of the sister of Sir Thomas More. Donne's earliest biographer, Izaak Walton, said that his father
was a wealthy London merchant who "descended from a very ancient family in Wales." After
Donne's father passed away when he was four years old, his mother married Dr. John Syminges,
who reared the Donne kids.
Donne enrolled in the University of Oxford at the age of twelve and studied there for
three years. He then probably continued his education at the University of Cambridge, but he did
not graduate from either school because he was a Roman Catholic and was unable to swear the
oath of allegiance to Elizabeth, the Protestant queen, as required. Upon finishing his studies,
Donne most likely visited Spain and Italy before coming back to London to study law, first at
Lincoln's Inn (1592–94) and then at Thavies Inn (1591). There he examined the theologies of
Roman Catholicism and Protestantism in comparison, and he may have even dabbled in religious
skepticism. He joined the successful privateering expedition of the Earl of Essex in 1596 as a
gentleman, and the following year he went with Sir Walter Raleigh and Essex in the nearly
disastrous Islands mission, searching the Azores for Spanish treasure ships.
Donne worked as a secretary for Sir Thomas Egerton, the lord keeper of the great seal,
for over five years after his return to London in 1597. It seems likely that by now Donne had
converted to Anglicanism based on the appointment itself. Donne's contemporary, Richard
Baker, described him at this time as "not dissolute [i.e., careless], but very neat; a great visitor of
Ladies, a great frequenter of Plays, a great writer of conceited." Walton claimed that Donne lived
in the Egerton household during his tenure with the lord keeper more as a friend than as a
servant, with Sir Thomas giving him "a place at his own table, to which he esteemed [Donne's]
company and discourse to be a great ornament of verses.
Donne met and fell in love with Anne More, the daughter of Sir George More, the
chancellor of the garter, and the niece of Egerton's second wife, when he was working for
Egerton. The two got married in secret, most likely around December 1601, knowing they had no
prospect of winning Sir George's approval for their union. For this transgression, Sir George also
had Donne removed from his position with Egerton and placed in temporary jail. He also refused
to give Donne Anne's dowry. Furthermore, the marriage destroyed any chance of a career in
public service, and Donne found himself at thirty years old without a job and without enough
money to sustain his family.
Over the following ten years, Donne endured abject poverty and degrading reliance,
living initially at Pyrford, Surrey, thanks to the generosity of Anne's cousin, then at a house in
Mitcham, around seven miles (11 km) from London, and occasionally in an apartment in
London, where he was dependent on the kindness of aristocratic patrons. He made several
unsuccessful attempts to find work during this time, and in the meantime, his family was
expanding; Anne gave birth to 12 children in all, five of them passed away before they reached
adulthood. "Because I have transplanted [her] into a wretched fortune, I must labor to disguise
that from her by all such honest devices, as giving her my company, and discourse," Donne
writes in one of his many letters to his wife during this difficult time, expressing his love and
worry for her. About himself, however, Donne recorded only despair: “To be part of no body is
as nothing; and so I am. … I am rather a sickness or a disease of the world than any part of it and
therefore neither love it nor life.”

METAPHOR OF JOHN DONNE

The well-known English poet John Donne was a master of metaphysical poetry, using rich and
sophisticated metaphors to address difficult subjects like relationships, spirituality, and love. In
his poem "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," Donne employs a noteworthy metaphor in
which he compares the legs of a compass to two lovers, highlighting their bond while being
physically apart. He compares one leg of the compass to the partner who travels while the other
stays stationary, yet both remain inextricably linked, beautifully illustrating the consistency and
stability of their love. This metaphor does a wonderful job of illustrating the idea that even
though the lovers are apart, their emotional and spiritual bond never ends.
In "The Flea," another one of Donne's powerful metaphors, the bodily union between the lover
and himself is symbolized by the picture of a flea that has bitten both of them. Since Donne
contends that the intimacy they have already experienced outweighs the insignificance of their
blood mixing within the flea, the flea becomes a symbol for their entwined existence. Donne's
capacity to use intricate metaphors to explore the depths of love and intimacy in a thought-
provoking and unusual way is demonstrated by this unusual analogy of the flea as a symbol of
their union.

METAPHYSICAL POEMS OF JOHN DONNE

Metaphysical conceits are elongated, non-traditional metaphors between seemingly unrelated
passages that are common in John Donne's poetry. Through his poems, Donne skillfully
demonstrates his ability to create a compelling argument by fusing together unexpected themes.
The metaphysical poetry school, distinguished by its use of wit through extensive metaphors, is
thought to have had the most influence from him. Donne's poetry frequently conflate his love for
God with his love for a specific person, expressing his ultimate devotion to God in the form of a
man and woman's love, or portraying his love for a lady using religious precepts. In order to
convey emotional experience through conceptual connections, Donne's poetry employs
metaphysical conceit.

1. “The Sun Rising”

a conceit is used: the sun is compared to a servant who is neither reverend nor strong. His job is
to scout information for the poet. Donne makes this conceit to despise the dignitaries. “I” can
deny the sun by a wink, the reason why “I” do not wink is “I” can not lose the sight of my lover.
And at last, the poet commands his servant-the sun-to inspect India and all kings whom “you saw
yesterday”, then reports to his master. In addition, in this section, unfamiliar images are written
which show Donne’s erudition. Ancient India is famous for the production of spices, and the
west indie islands are rich in gold and silver deposits. Eclipse is an astronomical term: the sun
will appear eclipse with a wink of an eye. The poet uses his astronomical knowledge to disdain
the sun.
2. “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”
the poet makes a comparison between earthquake and movement of celestial sphere. Earthquakes
often happen in the ground, and could cause harm, so people are frightened. The movement of
celestial sphere is the source of earthquake, but it brings no harm to humans. Unlike those former
poets, Donne regards the earthquake as the movement of celestial sphere instead of the anger of
God. The poet wants to emphasize that the separation of the couple is different from those
ordinary people. He views the separation as the movement of celestial sphere, which is holy,
mysterious and magnitude, and with no harm to our love.

3. “The Flea”
The Flea becomes a symbol of combined bodies because bloods are all in its body, and Donne
compares the little flea to “marriage bed” and “marriage temple”. In this way, the flea becomes
holy. Also, the flea is regarded as the Trinity, so the little flea becomes the substitute of God. On
the contrary, as humanity’s most familiar image, the sun is always being praised. In the culture
of many peoples, the sun is the supreme and the most respected and worshipped. But in “The
Sun Rising”, the great sun is demoted to the servant of the poet.

REFERENCES:

https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Metaphysical-Conceit-in-the-Poetry-of-John-Donne/
https://tpls.academypublication.com/index.php/tpls/article/
https://elizabethanenglandlife.com/john-donne-metaphysical-poetry/