A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

The Sexual Renaissance and the period’s literature brought about a romantic quality of

sophistication and dignity not yet witnessed by northern Europe at the time. Fomented largely by

the desire for respectability and Europe’s recognition, Elizabethan England finally embraced the

Renaissance that had swept across much of Europe over a century before. It was during this

period that such notable authors as Shakespeare, Sidney, and Donne emerged with their new

interpretations and stylistic iterations regarding sexuality, love, intimacy, and commitment. This

essay will analyze John Donne’s "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" with emphasis on its

contribution to the evolving styles, its alignment with contemporary works by similarly situated

authors of the day, and its value meriting inclusion in the future study of The Sexual

Renaissance.

"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" was penned in response to the author, John

Donne, preparing for a lengthy journey that would separate him from his wife. The poem

employs the use of conceit, whereby Donne metaphorically compares their love to that of a

compass in lines 25–28:

If they be two, they are two so

As stiff twin compasses are two;
            Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if the other do.
Here, she is the stable leg and he is the arcing leg, which, while separated, remain forever

connected. In contrast to the impassioned love demonstrated in his previous works, such as "The

Flea" and "The Sun Rising," the love depicted in "A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning" is

transcendent and pure. This style is reminiscent of Sidney’s Astrophil, for whom he imbued

despairing love and forlornness, albeit pure and decent. The poem’s tone echoes the theme of
love's capacity to endure physical separation and connotes a deeper, more profound bond

between the lovers. Donne’s use of weather in his construct of commitment further reinforces the

ideology of the poet’s enduring love that has transcended beyond mere sex. "No tear-floods, nor

sigh-tempests move;/ 'Twere profanation of our joys/ To tell the laity our love." thus, no tears or

sorrow should arise, as there is certainty in their love (Donne, lines 6–8). The strength of the

couple’s love is further exemplified by the conceit of gold, in which the poet states:

Our two souls therefore, which are one,

                Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
                Like gold to airy thinness beat. (Donne, lines 21–25).
Likening the distance between them to the thinning of gold, whereby love does not change form

but only expands. And in closing, Donne makes assurances of his return, employing once again

the metaphorical compass: "Thy firmness makes my circle just, / And makes me end where I

begun. (Donne, lines 35–36).

  Each stanza expands on a different theme-related idea, gradually constructing a case for

the speaker's profound love. The two most important themes are: A) Love and Separation: Donne

emphasizes that their love is a spiritual relationship that transcends physical distance by

illuminating it with vivid and intricate metaphors. B) Spiritual Love: A major theme in Donne's

metaphysical poetry, spiritual love is highlighted in this poem. The speaker claims that their love

is more than just physical attraction and cravings; it is a heavenly connection. Donne deliberately

tries to elicit empathy and understanding for his amorous predicament by including us in this

private experience. He establishes a sense of connection and solidarity among those who can

comprehend the spiritual depth of his work. He questions the conventional notions of love and

relationships in his poetry and asks the audience to accept a greater kind of transcendental love.

Reminiscent of "The Knot," which is a metaphor for friendship in Katherine Philips' poem
"Friendship in Emblem," which uses similar development, The knot stands for the tight

connection between friends, just as the compass in Donne's poem symbolizes the link between

the two souls of the lovers. Philips and Donne both employ metaphorical imagery to discuss the

essence of love and friendship. The compass metaphor in Donne's poem highlights the power of

the love shared by the couple. These metaphorical techniques are used to underline the value of

preserving connections between people and to show the depth and complexity of human

interactions.

Additional supporting connection can be found in "Astrophil and Stella," where the

protagonist is consumed by his intense, unrequited love for Stella, a woman from whom he is

both physically and emotionally estranged. Astrophil's difficulty expressing his emotions clearly

and the ensuing conflict over his identity as a lover and poet are the sequence's defining features.

In order to convey the tension and complexity of Astrophil's emotions, Sidney regularly uses

Petrarchan clichés, such as the use of oxymorons, paradoxes, and the idealization of the beloved.

For instance, Astrophil laments in Sonnet 1 about having "loving thoughts and thoughts of living

in love," emphasizing both his yearning and his incapacity to express his love. As a contrast,

John Donne examines the more developed and spiritual side of love. In contrast to the emphasis

on physicality and desire in "Astrophil and Stella," Donne's poem honors the tenacity and

resiliency of a love that knows no bounds. In the poem, the speaker reassures his loved one that

their physical separation is just temporary and that their love will continue despite it. Donne uses

philosophical allusions to highlight the depth and particularity of their relationship. Donne

highlights the interconnectedness of their souls, even when they are apart, in the well-known

lines, "Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show / To move, but doth, if the other do." (Donne,

lines 27, 28). The contrast between these works not only illuminates the many approaches to love
and desire during the English Renaissance, but it also illustrates the various literary devices used

to convey these feelings. While Donne's metaphysical approach in "A Valediction: Forbidding

Mourning" highlights the spiritual and intellectual components of love, Sidney's use of

Petrarchan tropes in "Astrophil and Stella" portrays the sufferings of unrequited love and the

idealization of the beloved.

Additional correlations between Donne’s work and the classic metaphysical poets of the

period can be demonstrated through Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116. Throughout the course we have

read multiple sonnets as well as novellas that analyze the concepts of desire and love in various

settings and well as expressional forms. Two of the most well-known pieces of love poetry are

"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" by John Donne and "Sonnet 116" by William

Shakespeare. The idea of eternal love is discussed, and it is asserted that true love is constant and

unchanging. The opening of Sonnet 116 is "Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit

impediments" (Shakespeare, lines 1,2). The poet contends that extrinsic factors like time, space,

or distance have no bearing on pure love. Love, according to him, "is an ever-fixed mark / That

looks on tempests and is never shaken" (Shakespeare, lines 4,6). These phrases make me think of

a steady lighthouse that endures the fiercest of storms while illuminating the way. The

consistency of sincere love is emphasized by this metaphor. As the poet addresses his lover

personally, John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" opens in stark contrast with a

delicate and personal tone. He also suggests that their love transcends physical distance by using

the metaphor of "virtuous men passing mildly away" to represent their parting (Donne, line 1). In

order to explore the topic of love's tenacity, both poets make use of imagery and metaphors.

Shakespeare uses a lighthouse as a metaphor of enduring love, whereas Donne employs the

image of a compass to represent the connection between lovers. Shakespeare's Sonnet 116
follows the traditional sonnet format and is written in the rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

The poem has a sense of stability and order, which supports the concept of unwavering love.

However, Donne's poem is composed in rhymed quatrains using the ABAB rhyme pattern. The

structure is less rigorous than the sonnets, but it nevertheless exudes harmony and unity,

symbolizing the lovers' connection.

A classic example of metaphysical love poetry, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,"

has several traits in common with other love poems from the same Elizabethan time period.

Love, spirituality, and separation were topics that poets like Andrew Marvell, George Herbert,

and Henry Vaughan also addressed in their works. However, each poet took a distinct approach

to these subjects, expressing their ideas through a variety of metaphors, images, and literary

devices. For instance, in Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress," the poet employs the idea of

carpe diem (seize the day) to highlight the transient aspect of life and the significance of physical

love. Donne's poetry, on the other hand, is more concerned with the eternal, spiritual qualities of

love that go beyond flesh. His similarities in style, evocative imagery, and the use of conceit

align closely with the examples of Shakespeare, Sidney, and Philips. While the poems address

the intricacies of love, they provide different viewpoints on how the material and spiritual

aspects of human relationships interact. I believe including this poem in the coursework could

help the students recognize the other side of love, which is also written by one of the most

popular erotic poets. It can give the students a fresh perspective on the depth of love as opposed

to sexual desires; it shows the obsessive and everlasting desire that love can plague someone

with.
 Works Cited
Donne, John. "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne." Poetry Foundation, 1633,
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44131/a-valediction-forbidding-mourning.
Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 116: Let Me Not to the Marriage of True…." Poetry Foundation,
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45106/sonnet-116-let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-
minds.