Analysis
John Donne’s poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” was written as love letter to his wife asking her not to mourn him even thoug he is gone on a long journey, and deals with themes of love, death, faith, and science with heavy use of metaphoric language, simile, and imagery. The poem uses logic rather than sentimentalism or sappy romantic words to win over the woman’s confidence. The first stanzas argue that one should not mourn a friend’s passing because such lamentations are a mockery of true love, but the poem is not dealing with the poet’s death. It goes on to asserts that Donne’s wife should not mourn him because their love is beyond that of superficial affection, and so will be strengthened by their physical separation rather than destroyed. It ends by promising their love will come full circle, meaning they will be united again someday anyway. As this philosophy could be applied to any couple, the poem was written specifically for Donne’s wife around 1611, right before he left for France and Germany, and it was not discovered until after his death. To poems basic message is that if ones love is so great that it transcends this earthly reality, psychical departure cannot break such a bond and thus mourning is an unnecessary vulgarity.
This poem is highly metaphoric and uses a few extended metaphors to argue the authors point to his love, along with a few smiles and emotional imagery. In a clam yet quietly passionate tone, he asks readers not to create “tear-floods nor sigh-tempests” even as “virtuous men pass mildly away” (lines 1, 6). His word choice carefully understates the finality of death and departure (“mildly”), while emphasizing the strength of the soul that for these lovers is beyond “dull sublunary lover’s love”(line 13). He asserts that he and his wife share a love far greater than this foolish idealized romance (he and wife’s souls are one) and so mourning is not necessary when the bond is this deep. He alludes to the Ptolemaic spheres to show how fear of earthly demise (“Moving of the earth brings harms and fears”) pales in comparison to the heavens (“But trepidation of the spheres, Though greater, is innocent”) (lines 1, 9, 11, 12). This is all part of his logical argument that although he’s leaving his wife in body this will not separate them in spirit, and also shows faith in spiritual matters. He compares their souls to the feet on a compass in an extended metaphor, and that they must move together just as these feet “obliquely run” (line 34). With a simile he compares their love to the most precious metal: gold, and explains how their affection will be beat to “airy thinness” by their separation and not destroyed (line 24). Finally, he promises “to end where [he] began,” meaning husband and wife will be joined again someday anyway. Such proud, solemn images of compasses, celestial spheres, and virtuous men dying create a sense that Donne has pride in their love and that to weep over it would trivialize it. The poem also has heavy use of both scientific ideas (gold, compass, cosmic spheres) and religious ideas (spiritual reality) and pairs the two in an elegant manner to show the connection and contrast between the physical and metaphysical world. All of this solidifies the husband’s plea for no tears on part of the wife, and praises the promise of the metaphysical world.
“A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is a love letter written with plenty of figurative language and fancy words, but in reality it is really quite a straightforward poem with a clearly stated agenda. Donne is elegantly convincing his wife not to be distressed about his parting, because their love is strong enough to withstand the separation and even be strengthened by it. The poem focuses on the power of love and feeling beyond the earthly realm, both in death and temporary parting. The title really sums it up well: this is Donne’s send off (A Valediction) off that argues for no mourning for his departure (Forbidding mourning). No tears, please, as when two people’s very souls are one sadness upon departure is highly unnecessary, as they are together always anyway!
