Types of Love in Donne’s Poetry Essay Example

each item, again conveying an image of a great length of time. The image of time as a 'rag' is used by Donne to mock the inexorability of time - any material object will soon become ragged and decayed. The lover's love however, is exempt from the detrimental effects of time.

The rhyming couplet also helps to round off and conclude his argument that their love is timeless.In the second stanza Donne cleverly and humorously mocks the sun's capabilities, stating that he himself can do the same things easily 'I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink'. This joyful arrogance increases the comedic value of the poem, and keeps the tone light and playful, conveying a joyous happy mood in the speaker. Donne uses travel conceit, stating that their love is greater than all the explorations and finds, stating that 'this Indias of spice and mine' would 'lie here with me'.

This is a topical observation, in Donne's era explorations were occurring all over the world, bringing to light may precious objects. Donne uses hyperbole to suggest that their love is greater than these precious goods. He furthers this idea in this stanza with the use of regal conceit:'Ask for those kings whom thou saw'st yesterday.And thou shalt hear, all here in one bed lay'Their love is greater and more precious than kings - a much more powerful image in Donne's era, due to the strong belief of the divine right of kings, and that kings were ordained by God. Is Donne suggesting that their love is something of a holy divine nature? The monosyllabic words of the last line of this stanza convey

firmness and solid conviction on Donne's part, showing sincerity and passion and deep feeling - a crucial element of a metaphysical poem.In the third stanza this conceit continues: 'She' is all states, and all princes I'.

The short abrupt statement of 'Nothing else is.' creates a tremendous emphasis: their love is all that exists; it is the world and the universe. Everything else is false: 'All honour's mimic, all wealth alchemy'. Again addressing the sun, Donne states that in its solitary state it can only be 'half as happy' as we'. This suggests Donne's belief in the great power of love and companionship - humans are not meant to be single or solitary.There is a tonal shift in this stanza, Donne's tone becomes less abusive and mocking, and becomes more playful and mocking:'Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties beTo warm the world, that's done in warming us'Donne states that the sun must be tired of journeying the world, warming it up, but it need not - for the rest of the world apart from him and his lover is false - the sun can warm the world just by warming him and his lover, for they are the centre of the universe:'This bed thy centre is, these walls thy sphere.

'This astronomical conceit is plausible in a sense, in Donne's era it was still common belief that the earth was in-fact the centre of the universe, and so Donne states that their bed is the centre of the universe. This is a strongly sexual image, and suggests Donne thought sex was a very important factor in love. The poem consequently has a very sensual

feel to it with the sexual image and the glowing of the sun, which mirrors the sensual love of Donne and his lover.There is also a rather interesting paradox to this poem, Donne states that nothing exists apart from their love, an extreme conceit yet continually acknowledges other aspects of the world in conceit e.g.

sun, precious objects, and kings. Perhaps Donne is trying to emphasise that their love is the centre of universe, other aspects of the world can only circulate outside of them - the astronomical conceit of the poem.'Batter my Heart' is another of Donne's poem - which deals with Donne's love for God rather than a woman. It which contrasts greatly to his love in 'The Sunne Rising'.

It is an interesting relationship, and the poem employs violent and graphic imagery. The love in this poem is more passionate, possessive and yearning, and throughout the poem Donne seems less content.It is fitting that the form of this poem is a Pretarchan sonnet. The language is compressed in this contained form, which creates tension, conveying the passion and emotive state of Donne. In the first line of the octave, Donne addresses god with a forceful dramatic opener:'Batter my heart, three-personed God; for youAs yet but knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend;'The use of violent forceful verbs such as 'batter' and 'knock' and seems to make the poem reverberate. The paradox here is that Donne needs to be knocked down, 'o'erthrow me' so he 'may rise and stand'.

This shows the intensity of his love for God, he wants to be punished, and feel pain before he can truly love and empathise

with God and Christ - who suffered on the cross.The violent imagery continues with 'break, blow, burn and make me new', the alliteration of the 'b' sound conveys sheer force, almost like Donne is hammering out the words. The paradox here is that in destroying and burning Donne, God will make him new - he will re-emerge a better person. The reader can hear the desperation in Donne's voice 'oh, to no end' which suggests that he despairs at his spiritual life with God, that unlike the easiness and playfulness of love on earth - seen in 'The Sunne Rising' The tone in this poem is not the joyous arrogance of the previous poem, rather it is more submissive and desperate.

In the sestet Donne adopts conceit, common in many of his poems. He likens his situation with God to that of a woman in love betrothed to an enemy against their will:'Yet dearly' I love you, and would be loved fain,But am betrothed unto your enemy'In these lines the reader can clearly see Donne's passion and love for god, 'dearly' I love you' and this is an important element of the metaphysical poem - displaying deep innermost feelings. The use of 'betrothed' suggests a deeply personal element - he wants to be married to God, the closest earthly connection a human can have. The tone here is apologetic - Donne cannot resist sin unaided. Donne also states how, against his will, he is almost in a marriage with the devil.

This further suggests the weakness in humans, and in Donne himself and in the next line we can see rife emotion:'Divorce me', untie, or break

that knot again,'Donne wants to be free form the tangles of the human material world; in his ideal spiritual life he would love God only. He states 'imprison me' for only in God's chains can he be truly free from evil. This conveys momentous passion to the reader. What is interesting is that Donne is not conventionally respectful or submissive in his prayer to God, pleads and makes demands. This shows that Donne's relationship with God is not simple.The last three lines, in my opinion, are the most provocative and forceful in the poem:'Take me to you, imprison me, for I,-Except you' enthral me, never shall be free,Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Donne states that he needs to be forcefully possessed by God's spirit in order to be free, 'ravish' conveys an image of rape, and this would have been extremely provocative in 17th Century literature. This disturbing analogy emphasises Donne's need to changed and satisfied spiritually. The ending of this poem is equally dramatic to the opening, and 'you ravish me' conveys Donne personally and forcefully addressing God directly. He ties in and connects love and violence, and suggests to me that love without pain is not really love at all.In this poem, Donne is not superior; he is pleading and desperate, throughout the poem. This contrasts sharply with 'The Sunne Rising' and in many other of his poems, especially 'Aire and Angels' where Donne appears superior over his lover.

In the previous poem Donne is superior over earthly things, such as time, seasons and the sun. This poem shows a very different kind of love for Donne, a love that he is

not completely in control of, and cannot completely understand. This is conveyed by the force, strength and violence of this poem, compared to the joyful, calm and playful nature of 'The Sunne Rising'