ENGLISH LITERATURE 1 - "Poetry Makes my Toes Tingle!"
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Explore the following websites :
https://poetryarchive.org/poet/john-donne/
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/john-donne
2. Read John Donne's poems and chose 2-3 lines that you liked because of...
a) the meaning;
b) his style ( conceits, imagery, use of words);
c) the rhythm or musicality of the lines;
e) what they made you feel and why.
3.Write the lines you have chosen in the comments below. Use the proper punctuation, i.e., the lines should be enclosed between inverted commas "....", followed by the author. Below, write the title References and below, the website from which you obtain the lines. For example:
References
The Poetry Archive Editors. "In the Time of the Breaking of Nations", by Thomas
Hardy." Read by Anthony Thwaite. N. d. Web. 27 June 2023.
<https://poetryarchive.org/poet/thomas-hardy/>
4. Take your time to write your classmates's lines and leave a comment about their lines.
"Let me pour forth
ReplyDeleteMy tears before thy face, whilst I stay here,
For thy face coins them, and thy stamp they bear,
And by this mintage they are something worth,
For thus they be
Pregnant of thee;..."
From "A Valediction: Of Weeping", by John Donne
Donne is going away on one of his expeditions and he is saying goodbye to his wife.
He is essentially saying:"Let me cry while I'm here in your arms. I can see your face reflected in my teardrops (as if her face were a mirror), so they're stamped with your image like coins stamped with the faces of kings and queens—and that makes them valuable. Because my tears reflect your face, they seem to have become "pregnant"with images of you.
I chose "A Valediction: Of Weeping" because it is a very original farewell poem. In it, Donne manages to show us the deep bond between his wife and himself and he uses a peculiar CONCEIT, that of tears likened to coins, stamped with the faces of monarchs in the Mint House. For Donne, his wife's tears are as or more valuable than coins.
REFERENCES:
LitCharts Editors. "A Valediction: Of Weeping, by John Donne" Analysis. LitCharts.com.
N.d. 27 June, 2023.
REFERENCES
ReplyDeleteThe Poetry Archive Editors. "A Valediction: Of Weeping", by John Donne.
N. d. Web. 27 June 2023.
The Good-Morrow
ReplyDeleteBY JOHN DONNE
My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres,
Without sharp north, without declining west?
I chose these lines from stanza 3 because the speaker engages into an emotional conversation with his lover, using a lot of imagery. (my face in thine eye, thine in mine appears) The lovers gaze into each other’s eyes. This shows that they are bonding. They are true and plain. I like imagery as a literary device because it triggers my mind and allows me to form a picture of what is taking place in my head as I read the lines.
The poet asks ‘Where can we find two better hemispheres’ (an image representing their eyes); without sharp North… (the cold north refers to cold, distant feelings), without declining West… the sun sets in the West, end of the day, marking a parallel to the end of a relationship. The author is using a metaphysical conceit here, reinforcing the idea that the lover’s relationship isn’t cold or about to end, it is warm and sparkling.
The theme is another aspect that helped me to decide on the extract. Love and its many intricacies is something we can all relate to and I find this idea appealing.
REFERENCES
1. The Norton Anthology of Poetry Third Edition. “The Good-Morrow”, by John Donne. 1983
poetryfoundation.org/poems/44104/the-good-morrow
And notice his reference to the cardinal points, West, East (The Metaphysical poets were interested in exploration and navigation as well as in Science). Remember that Donne was among other things, an explorer. Well done!!
DeleteThis poem conveys a strong and positive feeling of unity, highlighting the significance of authentic relationships where individuals see themselves reflected in the eyes of their beloved. Personally, I find the poem's message of deep emotional connection and the idea of finding completeness in another person to be beautiful and an amazing feeling.
DeleteFarewell to Love
ReplyDeleteBY JOHN DONNE
The sport,
Because that other curse of being short,
And only for a minute made to be
Eager, desires to raise posterity.
First of all, I consider the title so catchy, only reading It you want to go on with the poem.
I got involed with the last part of the stanza 3 since he talks about tha love is short, it doesn´t love forever and sometimes, we know that kind of love is not worthwhile to keep in our life since it doesn´t fill up our hearts but we are eager to have more of it due to is only to spend a period of time which we feel empty and we want affection. However, when we have to gave the farewell to that kind of love, it husts more then if someone breaks our heart . Because, at the end of that rapport , we fall in love with him/ her and we know it was imaginary relationship.
References
1. PoemHunter." Farewell to Love", by John Donne. 2001
poemhunter.com/poem/farewell-to-love/
The sport... as if love were a game... Interesting!
DeleteWhat a great analysis. It catch my attention completely
DeleteYour input raises some interesting arguments and invites one to reflect upon the fact that love can drive us to the point or the extreme of becoming helpless and succumb to its force leaving other aspects that are essential to our lives aside. In some ways it blinds us as you expressed.
ReplyDeleteThe Ecstasy, by John Donne
ReplyDelete"But as all several souls contain
Mixture of things, they know not what,
Love these mix'd souls doth mix again
And makes both one, each this and that."
This poem makes me feel that love can bring together different souls and make them become one. It suggests that within each person, there are different parts or qualities that they may not completely understand. However, when love occurs, it blends these diverse aspects together, creating a sense of unity and harmony. The poem gives me a warm and hopeful feeling, emphasizing the power of love to connect people and bring them closer together.
Poetry Foundation. (s. f.). The Ecstasy by John Donne | Poetry Foundation.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44099/the-ecstasy
I really like the poem you chose and the analysis you made, it is lovely the way he describes the soul.
DeleteLove mixes all the little bits each of our souls bring and makes one soul, made of this and that bit. Beautiful, Mr Donne!
DeletePersonally, I find this poem to be a beautiful expression of devotion and the power of love. It captures the intensity of emotions and the willingness to prioritize the presence of a loved one above all else.
ReplyDelete"No man is an island, entire of it selfe; every man is a piece of that Continent, a part of
ReplyDeletethe main; if a Cloud be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a
Promontory were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's
death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde, and therefore never send to
know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee;..."
From "Meditation XVII", by John Donne
Personally, I chose this poem because it makes me feel real. I love the way he explains that we are not isolated persons, that we are part of mankind, that we can't be alone, we need the presence of other people in order to survive. Although we are selfish, we will always require the help of someone.
REREFENCES
Gordon, Todd. Kissel, Adam ed. "John Donne: Poems; Meditation 17 Summary and Analysis". GradeSaver, 10 June 2012 Web. 9 July 2023.
Indeed! This is the famous "Meditation XVII", which is a sermon as well. Great sermon, isn't it?
DeleteI like what Brisa expressed about how she feel when reading the poem: real. I think that feeling real is an amazing experience.
DeleteGreat choice of poem!
ReplyDeleteThe Dream, By Johh Donne
ReplyDeleteBut rising makes me doubt, that now
Thou art not thou.
That love is weak where fear's as strong as he;
'Tis not all spirit, pure and brave,
This poem fascinate me due to how it is the "Dream" is shaped as physical love with a person which you are "attached". The way John explained as the fear of loosing the essence of talking with the person and his love is extremely passionate and makes me feel sensitive about the situation.
REFERENCES
Poetry Foundation. (s. f.). The Ecstasy by John Donne | Poetry Foundation.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44098/the-dream-56d2230d79f0b
I love Donne's " that now / Thou art not thou..." (I'm in doubt about who you are, you are not you now). Lovely!
ReplyDeleteThe Sun Rising
ReplyDeleteBY JOHN DONNE
“Busy old fool, unruly sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains call on us?
Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run?”
In the poem Donne’s uses metaphor to compare the sun with his wife, chastising it for peeping through the curtains, rousing him and his lover as they lie in bed together of a morning. He makes reference to the lights of the sun when they wake up, they are dazzling, as well as the profound love he feels for her that, he is blinded by her beauty. Personally, I liked the metaphor and the way it made me feel or reflect about when we are blinded for person’s one quality or their beauty, precisely because it happened to me.
REFERENCES
1.Poetry Foundation. (s.f). The Sun Rising by John Donne | Poetry Foundation.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44129/the-sun-rising
I like the way Donne scolds the sun! He calls it "unruly old fool", using Personification. He means that the sun wakes the lovers up when they'd like to remain in bed.
ReplyDelete# It caught your attention, Ben.
ReplyDelete# You forgot to type the lines chosen!
THE GOOD-MORROW by John Donne
ReplyDelete"And now good-morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love, all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere."
As also Sele mentioned, what first cought my attention was the title of this poem. It made me think about a sunny morning waking up with someone beloved. I have always liked a quote from Gustavo Cerati that says "donde estemos juntos será nuestro hogar", and I felt in a similar way when I read the line by Donne "and makes one little room an everywhere." This idea of feeling at home wherever you are just because you are with people that makes you feel at home is quite captivating, quite comfortable.
My favourite line in this beautiful love poem: "For love,...makes one little room an everywhere." How very original it is Donne's use of 'everywhere' as a noun!
ReplyDeleteELEGY IX: THE AUTUMNAL by John Done.
ReplyDelete“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
Young beauties force our love, and that's a rape,
This doth but counsel, yet cannot scape.”
I chose this four lines from the first stanza as I found amazing the way he compares how human beings turn to look like when reach adulthood. On top of that, he compares this life stage to one particular season of the year that for most people is not as pleasant as with those of sunny and warm days. Through this imagery at the beginning of this poem, John Done portrays the passage of time in a way that, perhaps,most people have never thought of before. That is, in a more positive way. What is more, he ends this stanza with a short piece of advice: “This doth but counsel,yet scape”.
I have a strong feeling with old people since always, and I think that it has strengthen since my grandfather has passed away as I consider him my person. This could be another reason why I really love this poem.
REFERENCES
The Poetry foundation Editors. “ Elegy IX: The Autumnal”. Poetry Foundation 2023.
Donne is so sensitive to all things in real life, isn't he? He can write about exploration, the soul, his own death, sex, love, aging, etc. That is why he is so relevant today and his poetry is so interesting.
ReplyDeleteSOME CORRECTIONS:
#"how human beings turn to look like when reach adulthood.": I think you wanted to say: "what human beings / people look like when they begin to age / when they reach old age / as they age..."
#·" since always": I have always had great empathy with elderly people..."
Your post is GOOD+. Well done, Fiore!