Compared to the witty metaphysical poem written by John Donne, “The Flea
,” I prefer the other of his masterpieces, “Valediction: Forbidding
Mourning,” which is much more sincere, tender, and romantic.
Written when John Donne must temporarily left his wife, who, at that
time, was pregnant, in 1611, “Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” involves
the comparison between the spiritual love between him and his wife and the
physical love between common laities. Some critics categorized the first
stanza of this poem as the death-bed scene, while the “death” described here
means separation, that of the two lovers and that of of one’s body and soul.
In this exaggeration of grief, the persona persuades the soul to go, meaning
“to pass away peacefully,” demonstrating great confidence in meeting each
other again. Comparisons between earlthy love and his divine love later
follows, beginning with the “moving of th’ earth,” which is, literally, the
earth quake. Earth quake is something everyone can easily feel if not see.
However, the love between the persona and his beloved is like the movement of
heavenly spheres, which is steady, though unseen, and permanent. The beaten
gold, following the dead man, is the second image used in depicting their love
in the poem. Not only gold can expand limitlessly but it is never going to
break. The compasses-similie briefly discussed in class is the most
distinguished. In comparing the two lovers as those two feet of one pair of
compasses, they are actually one. only when the foot at the center, which is
the wife, stands firmly, can the other foot, which is the persona, to move
without difficulity. The two feet can individually stand when they are apart.
However, with the ends of them connected together, which means that the soul
of those two lovers are connected together as well, they are actually one.
Despite of all the images including the dying man, the beaten gold, and
the pair of compasses, some critics insisted that John Donne, illustrating the
failure to meet emotional needs with intellectual recourses, failed to
successfully suppress or ease his sorrow for the impending separation.
However, compared to his wildly-discussed “The Flea,” “Valediction:
Forbidding Mourning” demonstrates the spiritual side of romantic love instead
of whimsical debate between lovers.