“How does John Donne use his metaphysical style to show

pragmatic and platonic aspects in love poetry? ”

Individual Oral

PresentationInternational Baccalaureate

English A1

Francesco Sciortino

Dallam School

Content

• Choice of the topic• Metaphysical poetry• Why writing another poem• Imaginary background of the poem• First reading of the poem• Explanation of the style, expressions and

conceits• Conclusion

“How does John Donne use his metaphysical style to show pragmatic and platonic aspects in love poetry?”

• Contrast between science and love• Harmonization of pragmatic and

platonic love by John Donne• Out of scheme of the time in which

the author was living• Avant-garde of a new kind of poetry

Choice of the topic“How does John Donne use his metaphysical style to show

pragmatic and platonic aspects in love poetry?”

Metaphysical poetry

“Looking beyond the palpable” Georg Lukács, Hungarian Marxist critic

“They...sometimes stuck out unexpected truth" Samuel Johnson, English writer and critic

• Poetic movement, born in the 17th century – interest in changing times and new sciences.

• Use of conceits comparing a spiritual aspect to a concrete object

• Mockery of idealized, sentimental poetry• Gross exaggeration (hyperbole) and presentation

of a logical argument• Expression of personal, private feelings

Why did I write another poem?• Representing a larger portion of John Donne`s poetry

• Highlighting literary features• Going into the depths of the author`s way of thinking• Showing pragmatic and platonic love in the same

poem• Describing historical context• Showing relationship between Donne and his wife

Imagined context of my poem• Ann More has just died • John Donne is desperate because he lost his wife

and mistress• He is living in poverty• He has got to feed and educate his many children• His job is not providing enough money

A Valediction: farewell maidenhead

Com`in my life, thou drowned in my sore,Once were a lord and now thou were weakThou tick, thou sucking went sick! `Twas never me alone, thou always were more.

No lord or king, no bishop, pope or saintNobody will return me thy angelic shapeNobody will then let me again insideMy heaven, which I only lived in thy.

Death is the ocean I can`t cross:Our compass of love won`t expand so much,Neither the Armada could get back my loss.

Yes, the best moments I did catch,Still I remember thy body and its toss:Forever in my heart will be a nonesuch.

• Valediction Recurring term

• Farewell Ann More is dead

• Maidenhead innocence and virginity

ABB A

CCDD

EFE

FEF

Changing and jammed rhythms casual speech

"Donne, for not keeping of accent, deserved hanging”Ben Johnson

Com`in my life, thou drowned in my sore,Once were a lord and now thou were weakThou tick, thou sucking went sick! `Twas never me alone, thou always were more.[…]• Abbreviations, alliterations

and repetitions• Ann More became poor after

marrying John Donne• Conceit: a tick, sticking at

someone and sucking blood for a long time

• Spiritual love: perfection of the couple Valediction: forbidding

mourning“Whilst some of their sad friends do say,” (line 3) “Dull sublunary lovers' love” (line 13)

1° stanza

[…]No lord or king, no bishop, pope or saintNobody will return me thy angelic shapeNobody will then let me again insideMy heaven, which I only lived in thy.[…]

• Climax --> showing political and religious indecision

• Shape: appearance of senses

• Enjambments, anaphora, paradoxes

The dreame“[…] Yet I thought thee—For thou lovest truth—an angel, at first sight ;But when I saw thou saw'st my heart,And knew'st my thoughts beyond an angel's art,[…]”

Valediction: forbidding mourning“[…]Our two souls therefore, which are one, […]”

2° stanza

[…]Death is the ocean I can`t cross:Our compass of love won`t expand so much,Neither the Armada could get back my loss.[…]

• End of relationship• Discoveries • Conceit of the

compass• Historical

references

“Look, and to-morrow late tell me, Whether both th`Indias of spice and mine[…]” “[…]O, my America, my Newfoundland,[…]How am I blest in thus discovering thee ! […]” 

“[…] If they be two, they are two soAs stiff twin compasses are two ;Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no showTo move, but doth, if th`other do. […]”

3° stanza

[…]Yes, the best moments I did catch,Still I remember thy body and its toss:Forever in my heart will be a nonesuch.

Elegy XX: To his mistress going to bed“Licence my roving hands, and let them goBefore, behind, between, above, below.”

Valediction: forbidding mourning“But we by a love so much refined,That ourselves know not what it is,Inter-assured of the mind,Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.”

4° stanza

• Unique love

• Sexual meaning

• Master of conceits

• Literary features

• Well-known images of the 17th century

• Intriguing to read

• Complex to imitate

“How does John Donne use his metaphysical style to show pragmatic and platonic aspects in

love poetry?”

Conclusion