METAPHYSICAL POETRY

1. “Sweetest Love I Do Not Goe” (1611)
John Donne (1572 – 1631)
INTRODUCTION:
John Donne is chiefly remembered as a Metaphysical poet.
Metaphysical poetry flourished in the 17th century and is
characterized by:
 original and startling images
 wit
 colloquial speech
 a strong sense of morality
 compact expression
 flexible rhythm and metre
 hyperbole
 the conceit
• A conceit is a striking metaphor created by the
combination of two dissimilar things.

2.  John Donne wrote religious
poetry, love poetry, satires,
sermons and elegies.
 His poetic talent was wide
ranging and showcased his
versatility.

3. OVERVIEW:
• “Sweetest Love I Do Not Goe” (1611)
was written by John Donne for his wife
Ann Moore.
• In the poem, Donne is preparing to go on
a journey, but his wife is afraid of what will happen to him on the
journey and does not want him to go.
• John Donne convinces her that he will be alright and tells her that
the time alone will actually prepare her for the possibility of his
death in the future.
• Through the poem, Donne expresses his passionate love for his wife
by argument and reason.
• Donne also dwells on the transience of life and mankind’s suffering.
• Thus, Donne moves from the personal realm to the universal realm,
in order to clothe his poem with a significant relevance.

4. EXPLANATION and ANALYSIS:
1st stanza:
 Donne begins the poem as if in reply to his wife, saying that he is
not going because he is tired of her and is searching for a new love.
 More importantly he says, since he will die some day, perhaps it will
be best for his wife to pretend that he has died. This pretence will
serve as a good preparation for her, if the possibility ever arises.
• From the beginning, Donne highlights death as an important theme
in his poetry and an inevitable event in a person’s life.
• Donne uses the prospect of a journey to help prepare his wife for
his death.

5. 2nd stanza:
 Moving on with his argument, Donne uses a conceit involving himself and the
sun:
i) He says that the sun sets in the evening and returns to rise in the morning.
ii) Donne also adds that the sun does not possess desire and sense like he does.
iii) The duration of the sun’s journey is also much longer than the duration of his
journey. That is why his wife has no reason to fear for him.
iv) As a human, Donne says that he possesses “more wings and spurs” than the
sun. The words “wings and spurs” stand for the love and joy that Donne has
with his wife and which the sun will never have. The love and joy that he has
will propel and carry him and will also be his motivation and inspiration during
his journey.
• In this stanza, Donne makes use of the belief of old astronomy which states that
the sun revolves around the earth. This comparison showcases his knowledge of
science.
• At the same time, the nature of the sun as a
non-human object allows Donne to highlight the
love and joy shared between a man and woman.
It is here that the beauty of a human relationship lies.

6. 3rd stanza
 From talking about the happiness of
human life, Donne then shows the
uncertainty of happiness lasting.
 Donne says that man’s power is so
weak that if good things are lost and
bad things happen, man cannot go back in
time to change the course of events.
 The sorrow and pain burdens man and he surrenders to its weight.
Man does not fight to overcome the sorrow and pain but becomes
depressed and actually makes the effect of pain and suffering
stronger until it overwhelms him.
• In this stanza, Donne reveals that he is aware of both sides of
human life: the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. This
serves to illuminate man’s strength and weakness.

7. 4th stanza
 Following the pattern of universal to personal, Donne now expresses his love for
his wife.
 He makes use of the device of hyperbole by saying that when his wife sighs, she
sighs his soul away. Building on this Donne goes on to say that when his wife
weeps his blood starts to decay.
 The negative reactions of his wife seem
to cause in him a corresponding suffering.
This testifies to the power and depth of
his love for her.
 Donne says that it cannot be that his wife
loves him as she says, if in her, his life
goes to waste. She is the best part of him and he wants her to
represent all that is beautiful in his life.
• The device of hyperbole contributes to Donne’s lyrical effusion of emotion. The
tone becomes passionate and intense.
• Here, Donne shows the power of love and the oneness of the relationship.

8. 5th stanza
 In the concluding stanza, Donne urges his wife to do away with her
negative thoughts of the future because destiny may fulfill what she
fears most.
 Donne suggests a solution and tells his wife that while he is gone,
she should pretend as if they are sleeping with their backs turned to
one another. Thus, even though she cannot see him, she knows he
is there.
 The poem ends with a positive declaration that those lovers who
keep each other alive in their hearts will never be parted.
• The poem ends with an understanding of the role of
destiny in the life of man. Ultimately, man has to
face destiny with strength and dignity.
• In this way, Donne is able to console and comfort
his wife and to rid her of her worries and fears.

9. THANK YOU