Post on 01-Jun-2018
8/9/2019 John Donne - Analysis of his poetry
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John Donne
8/9/2019 John Donne - Analysis of his poetry
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The Flea The Flea THEMES THEMES
Erotic love: lines 1-9Religion and Marriage: lines 10-18
Erotic love and Religion: lines 20-28
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Erotic oveErotic ove!irginit" as a trivial #atter
$ho% little that %hich tho& deniest #e is'(l) 2*
$+nd this, alas .s #ore than %e %o&ld do/(l) 9*
Mied lood (se&al act, a#il" loodlines*
$+nd 3a#3er/d s%ells %ith one lood#ade o t%o' (l) 8*
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Religion andReligion and
MarriageMarriageMarriage as a sacred &nion
$4&r #arriage ed, and #arriage
te#3le is)'(l) 15*
Foridden love
/Tho&gh 3arents gr&dge, and "o&, %e/re#et/ (l) 16*
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overs o&t ro# the %orld, inside the 7ea
/+nd cloister/d in these living %alls o et'
(l) 1*
Flea she, hi# and itsel (hol" trinit"*
illing it tri3le sin (#&rder, s&icide, sacrilege*
$Tho&gh &se #a;e "o& a3t to ;ill #e,
et not to that sel-#&rder added e,+nd sacrilege, three sins in ;illing three'
(ll) 1<-18*
Religion andReligion and
MarriageMarriage
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The %o#an ;ills the 7ea
$=&r3led th" nail in lood o innocence>
?herein co&ld this 7ea g&ilt" e,'
(ll) 20-21*
Reinstates the trivialit" o the se&al act
$J&st so #&ch hono&r, %hen tho& "ield/st to #e,
?ill %aste, as this 7ea/s death too; lie ro#thee)'
(ll) 2@-28*
Erotic ove andErotic ove andReligionReligion
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S"#ols andS"#ols and
.#ages.#agesFlea #eta3h"sical conceit
Mied Alood &nion o the lovers
Trinit" he, she and the 7ea
Tri3le sin ;ill,sel-#&rder " sacrilege
.nside the 7ea lovers o&tside the %orld,te#3le
Death o the 7ea se&al act
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Marriage ed Marriage
Marriage te#3le sacred &nion
Alood essence o lie, &nion
S"#ols andS"#ols and
.#ages.#ages
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For#For#5 stanBas
++AACCDDD each co&3let ne% idea
+lternates ia#ic tetra#eter %ith ia#ic
3enta#eter) ast co&3let is t%o ia#ic
3enta#etres)
+lliteration -s (deniest, suck'd, sucks, this,
bloods, know'st, this, said, sin, loss,enjoys...* related to the sna;e as carnal
te#3tation)
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The S&n Rising The S&n Rising The 3oet co#3lains to the s&n or
%a;ing hi# and his lover &3) +rrogant tone) The 3oet is etter than
the s&n)
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Rh"#e, or# andRh"#e, or# and
#etric#etricine 1, and < o each stanBa ia#ic tetra#eter
Busy old fool, unruly Sun, (l.1)
ine 2 di#eter
Why dost thou thus
Rest o the lines ia#ic 3enta#eter
Must to thy motions loers' seasons run! (l. ")
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+AA+CDCDEE #i o =etrarchean andSha;es3earean sonnets)
+AA+ sets &3 the arg&#ent or i#age)
CDCD etends the i#age and 3rovides3roo or ans%er)
EE re3eats %hat %as 3revio&sl"stated in a stronger and #ore #e#orale%a")
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StanBa 1 (lines 1-10*StanBa 1 (lines 1-10* The 3oet is angr" at the s&n eca&se
the #orning #eans the end o the
night %ith his lover)
Their love is a slave o the s&n)
S&n - 3assage o ti#e) Ene#" to
their love)
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StanBa 1 (lines 1-10*StanBa 1 (lines 1-10*reat Chain o Aeing: ever" living thing hasa ran; in the divine sche#e o things)Ever"thing is s&ected to the s&n's 3o%er,
&t the co&3le) The lovers are in the highestran;)
ate school-o"s and so&r 3rentices,o tell co&rt-h&nts#en that the ;ing %ill
ride,
Call co&ntr" ants to harvest oIces)
Co&ntr" ants: 3easants)
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ove, all ali;e, no season ;no%s nor cli#e#or hours, days, months, which are the ra$s oftime.%
ist %ith ti#e-related conce3ts to e#3hasiBe
the ast 3assing o the ti#e)
Contrast %ith eternit") His love or her %ill
never die, no #atter ho% #&ch ti#e 3asses)
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. co&ld ecli3se and clo&d the# %ith a%in;
(l) 15*
Meta3h"sical conceit) S&r3rising i#age:
ecli3se the s&n %ith a %in;)
StanBa 2 (lines 11-StanBa 2 (lines 11-
20*20*
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. her e"es have not linded thine,
oo;, and to#orro% late tell #e,
(ll) 1-1<*
=arado: i the e"es o the lover have not
linded the s&n's e"es, ta;e a loo;)
StanBa 2 (lines 11-StanBa 2 (lines 11-
20*20*
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?hether oth th/ .ndias o s3ice and #ine Ae %here tho& let/st the#, or lie here %ith #e
+s; or those ;ings %ho# tho& sa%/st "esterda",
+nd tho& shalt hear, +ll here in one ed la")(ll) 1@-20*
Meta3h"sical conceit) S&r3rising i#age: the %hole%orld is in the ed)
Roo# and ed K s"#ol or the %orld) The %orld isthe co&3le)
StanBa 2 (lines 11-StanBa 2 (lines 11-
20*20*
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She's all states, and all &rinces Lothing else isL
(ll) 21-22*
The co&3le is ever"thing that eists in
the %orld) She's all states and he's all3rinces)
Chias#&s K reversal o %ords)
StanBa 5 (lines 21-StanBa 5 (lines 21-
50*50*
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Shine here to &s, and tho& art ever"%hereL This ed th" center is, these %alls th" s3here)(ll) 29-50*
?orld N Roo# The s&n onl" needs to shine on
the#)
=tolo#eic theor": Earth (NAed* as the center o the
Oniverse)
StanBa 5 (lines 21-StanBa 5 (lines 21-
50*50*
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Holl" Sonnet P.!Holl" Sonnet P.! The 3oet adresses od
Batter my heart, three&erson'd *od, for you%
(l) 1*
The 3oet %ants to get close to his
s3irit&alit"
!iolent, e#otional tone
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+AA+ +AA+ CDCD EE
ote ll) 10 and 12But am betroth'd unto your enem y +
iorce me,'untie or break that knot
a$ain,
-ake me to you, im&rison me, for ,
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.a#ic 3enta#eter %ith
ece3tions
ote ) 1 Batter my heart, three&erson'd *od,for you
(l)1*
Stressed s"llale at the start
!iolence
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Aatter #" heart, three-3erson/d od, or
"o&
+s "et &t knock, breathe, shine, and seek
to mendL
That . #a" rise and stand, o/erthro% #e,
and end
Qo&r orce to rea;, lo%, &rn, and #a;e
1st &atrain1st &atrain
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od is eing too sot
The 3oet %ants destr&ction and reconstr&ction
od, as a crats#an, can re#a;e hi#)
Behold, as the clay is in the &otters
hand, so are ye in mine hand, / house ofsrael%
0eremiah 12 "3
1st &atrain1st &atrain
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2nd &atrain2nd &atrain., li;e an &s&r3/d to%n to/another d&e,
aor to/ad#it "o&, &t oh, to no endL
Reason, "o&r vicero" in #e, #e sho&ld
deend,
A&t is ca3tiv/d, and 3roves %ea; or
&ntr&e)
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Conceit: =oet as a to%n
?ho $&s&r3ed' the 3oet> ?ho ;ee3s
his reason ca3tive>- Devil, evil
- Terrenal lie
Onailit" to let od in
2nd &atrain2nd &atrain
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5rd &atrain 5rd &atrain
Co&3letCo&3let&atrain co&3let in rh"#e
CDCD EE
Sestet in s"nta)
T&rn) The tone changes)
The conceit changes
To%n roo#
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Qet dearl"/. love "o&, and %o&ld e lov/d ain,
A&t a# etroth/d &nto "o&r ene#"L
Divorce #e,/&ntie or rea; that ;not again,
Ta;e #e to "o&, i#3rison #e, or .,
Ece3t "o&/enthrall #e, never shall e ree,
or ever chaste, ece3t "o& ravish #e)
5rd &atrain 5rd &atrain
Co&3letCo&3let
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Se&al connotations
=aradoes
.nsec&rit"
Re3eated sit&ation>
5rd &atrain 5rd &atrain
Co&3letCo&3let
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+rrogant, straight-or%ard tone
Des3eration and violence
The 3oet %ants od to hel3 hi#
Con7ict reason K s3irit&alit", od" Kso&l)
Sacred vs =roane love
Holl" Sonnet P.!Holl" Sonnet P.!
Concl&sionConcl&sion
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Meta3h"sicalMeta3h"sical
ConceitsConceits The Flea
The ed as the %orld
The s&n ecli3sed " a %in;
The &s&r3ed to%n
The ridegroo#
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Religio&s s3irit&alis#Religio&s s3irit&alis#
and erotic a#oro&snessand erotic a#oro&sness ?hen %riting ao&t love, Donne #a;es
contin&o&s reerences to religion and
#arriage) ove eco#es a sacred &nion,al#ost a %a" to salvation)
?hen %riting ao&t religion, Donne #a;es hisrelationshi3 %ith od so&nd li;e a ro#antic one, ;ee3ing the #asc&line, erotic tone)
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.n this three 3oe#s, egocentris# is a;e" ele#ent) The 3oetic voice is al%a"s
as;ing or so#ething to an a3ostro3he)
Thereore, #asc&linit" is al%a"s3resent)
The general i#3ression is that Donneeels #ore co#ortale %ith erotica#oro&sness)
Religio&s s3irit&alis#Religio&s s3irit&alis#
and erotic a#oro&snessand erotic a#oro&sness
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S"#ols to advanceS"#ols to advance
the#esthe#esCo#ination o religio&s and 3roane
s"#ols
+rg&#entative 3oe#s
Each s"#ol &s&all" introd&ces a ne%
arg&#ent
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Donne/s #etric doesn/t ollo% an"
s3ecic r&les) .t &s&all" doesn/t res3ect
the ia#ic 3enta#eter or the n&#er
o s"llales that a sonnet %as s&33osed
to have)
D4E !SD4E !S
E.U+AETH+SE.U+AETH+S
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Donne/s loo; at love is #ore 3h"sical
than the EliBaethan/s, %hich %as #ore
o a 3latonic, co&rtl" love)
.n Donne's 3oe#s, the lad" is 3resent in
the setting %hen the 3oet is tal;ing
ao&t her)
D4E !SD4E !S
E.U+AETH+SE.U+AETH+S