By: Chelsea Derricott, Rachel Rogers, Steve Piper
Donne lived the majority of his life in the 17th century.
This century was a time of metaphysical poetry. extends from the accession of the King James I in 1603 to the coronation of King Charles II in 1660. the Age of Anxiety At the heart of the century of rapid change lies the Puritan Revolt of 1640-60. The century together with the English Revolution was a time of intense ferment in all areas of life —religion, science, politics, domestic relations, and culture.
-was the most outstanding of the English Metaphysical Poets and a churchman famous for his spellbinding sermons -His works, notable for their realistic and sensual style, include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. -His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and immediacy of metaphor, compared with that of his contemporaries. -
Born to a prosperous London ironmonger in 1572 Catholic family so he was educated by Jesults Father died when he was young and was raised by his
mother Elizabeth At age 11 he went to Oxford University where he studied for 3 years and then proceeded to Cambridge for another 3 years. Although he did not take a degree from either because as a Catholic he could not take the Oath of Supremacy at graduation. His faith was badly shaken when his younger brother, Henry, died in prison where he had been sent for sheltering a Catholic priest Donne first literary work, Satires , was written during this period. This was followed by Songs and Sonnets. Which was a collection of love poems that gain success through private circulation.
Donne gained a comfortable inheritance, which
he proceeded to spent in profligate fashion on “wine, women, and song”. He joined the Essex’s Raid on Cadiz in 1596 1597 expedition to the Azores (a Portuguese chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean) Then he became a private secretary of Sir Thomas Egerton. Unfortunately he lost all chances of a career advancement when he secretly married Anne More. Anne enraged father had Donne thrown into Fleet Prison for several weeks. Donne’s marriage was a happy one despite the outside factors(his father in law)
Donne’s final break with his Catholic past came
with the publication of Pseudo-Martyr (1610) and Ignatius his Conclave. Though in turn they lead to the favoring of his work fr0m King James. Then in 1617 Anne Donne died giving birth to the couple’s 12th child Which lead to him writing one of his greatest works Holy Sonnets. Donne was appointed Dean of St. Paul’s, a post he held for the remainder of his life. In his final years Donne’s poems reflect an obsession with his own death, which came on March 31, 1631.
The Flea The Good-Morrow Song : Go and catch a falling star Woman's Constancy The Undertaking The Sun Rising The Indifferent Love's Usury The Canonization The Triple Fool Lovers' Infiniteness Song : Sweetest love, I do not go The Legacy A Fever Air and Angels Break of Day [Another of the same] [Break of Day] The Anniversary A Valediction of my Name, in the Window
Twickenham Garden
Valediction to his Book Community Love's Growth Love's Exchange Confined Love The Dream A Valediction of Weeping Love's Alchemy The Curse The Message A Nocturnal upon Saint Lucy's Day Witchcraft by a Picture The Bait The Apparition The Broken Heart A Valediction Forbidding Mourning The Ecstacy Love's Deity Love's Diet The Will The Funeral The Blossom
Now thou hast loved me one whole day, Tomorrow when thou leavest, what wilt thou say? Wilt thou then antedate some new-made vow ? Or say that now We are not just those persons which we were ? Or that oaths made in reverential fear Of Love, and his wrath, any may forswear ? Or, as true deaths true marriages untie, …..
…… So lovers' contracts, images of those, Bind but till sleep, death's image, them unloose ? Or, your own end to justify, For having purposed change and falsehood, you Can have no way but falsehood to be true ? Vain lunatic, against these 'scapes I could Dispute, and conquer, if I would ; Which I abstain to do, For by to-morrow I may think so too.
Woman’s constancy is about will he love me tomorrow? Its about how a woman wants to know if this man will still love her tomorrow, whether or not he means what he’s saying. She wants him to re-assure her that just because they are making these commitments, their relationship is still the same. Just because they have made vows doesn’t mean everything is going to change and she doesn’t want him just saying things to make her feel better about their love. In this poem all she’s asking for is a simple promise that their love is unending and unchanging, its constant.