A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning : Summary
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning is a notable literary work by John Donne. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.
Summary
Saying Goodbye Quietly
In this poem, Donne/the poet/the speaker is saying goodbye to his beloved for going away on a short trip. So, he uses a comparison. The speaker says that when good people die, they leave the world quietly and peacefully. Their friends cannot tell the exact moment of death because it is so calm. The speaker is saying he wants his separation from his lover to be just as gentle, without crying loudly or making a scene.
Their Love is Special and Deep
The speaker says that their love is sacred and pure. So, they should not show it off to others like ordinary love. Ordinary love needs to be loudly expressed. But the love between the speaker and his beloved is special. When the earth shakes (like during an earthquake), people get scared. But the movements of the planets (in the sky) are much bigger, yet they are peaceful and harmless. This is like their love—deep but calm.
Their Love is Spiritual
Some people’s love is only physical. This love is only based on touch and presence. So when they are far apart, their love becomes weak. Their love is not strong enough to survive distance. But the speaker says the love between him and his beloved is very pure and spiritual. Their love is so deep that even they do not fully understand it. Their hearts and minds are connected, so they do not need to worry about physical distance.
Their souls are one, even though he must travel. He says that distance is not a break, just a stretching. Just like when gold is hammered into a thin sheet, it only gets bigger.
Their Souls are Like Two Legs of a Drawing Compass
The speaker argues that if their souls are two, they are like the two legs of a drawing compass. One leg stays fixed at the center, while the other moves. His lover is the still leg, and he is the moving leg. But even the still leg leans when the other moves. It becomes strong again when the moving leg returns. This shows how his lover will stay connected to him even when he is far. The speaker says that his beloved is like the steady foot of the compass. He will move around like the other foot. But because she stays steady, his journey will be perfect and balanced (just like the perfect circle drawn by the compass). And in the end, he will come back to her.