John Donne (1572-1631)
Things to Consider:
- Religious and Sexual Imagery
- Metaphysical Poetry
- Metaphysical Conceits
Terms to Know:
- metaphysical conceit (746)
- valediction (756n)
Discussion Questions:
746:
- What is
a metaphysical conceit? (See
also 749)
749:
- How, according to the
editors, is Donne like Petrarch, Ovid, and the Neoplatonists?
- According to the editors,
what is the unifying characteristic of Donne's Songs and Sonnets (1633)?
- In what
ways, according to the editors, is
Donne a metaphysical poet?
"Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
759:
- What is
the occasion of this poem?
- What is the speaker's
message?
760:
- What
conceit does Donne employ in this poem?
"Batter My Heart, Three-personed
God"
772-73:
- What
poetic form is exemplified by this poem? Explain.
- Explain the message of this
poem.
- How are religious and sexual
imagery employed in this poem?
Other Discussion Questions:
747:
- Why, according to the editors,
did Donne convert to the English Church?
748:
- Why did Donne initially
resist seeking ordination? Why did he change his mind?
"Batter My Heart, Three-personed
God"
772-73:
- Identify and explain an
example of simile in the poem.
- What other literary
techniques are used in this poem? Explain.
