Critical Appreciation of the Poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.”

Answer

Write a critical appreciation of “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”. 

John Donne’s (1572-1631) poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is a famous metaphysical love poem. He wrote it for his wife, Anne, when he was going on a short trip in 1611. The poem was published in his 1633 collection Songs and Sonnets, two years after his death.  

The poem is a message of love and comfort. Donne tells his wife not to cry or feel sad for this short leave. Because their love is spiritual, not based only on the body. So, physical distance cannot break their love. This poem is full of deep passion and clever comparisons (conceits). Let us appreciate “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” below. 

Explanation of the Poem/Central Idea: At the start of the poem, Donne compares his goodbye to the peaceful death of good men. The good men die so quietly and peacefully that their friends do not realize it instantly. Donne wants  his wife to say goodbye to him like that—calmly and quietly,

“As virtuous men pass mildly away.”

He says they should not cry loudly with “tear-floods” or “sigh-tempests.” Their love is too special to be shown in public. He then says small physical changes like earthquakes cause fear. But the movement of the planets (which are bigger) does not scare anyone. This means ordinary love (based on the body) is disturbed by absence. But true love (based on the soul) is never disturbed.

Donne says their love is so pure that it does not need touch or physical closeness. Then, he makes two clever comparisons to show their love is unbreakable and spiritual. He compares their love to thin gold. He also compares their souls to a drawing compass.

Conceits: A conceit is a strange and far-fetched comparison between two very different things. Donne’s clever use of conceit makes this poem surprising and interesting. At first, Donne compares their love to gold.