Sama El Feky
900121886
Professor Justin Kolb
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Paper 1
How do Sir Philip Sidney and John Donne interpret love differently?
Both are incredible poets that certainly stand out in their own way, Sir Philip Sidney and John Donne have made literature history through fully baring their souls to the world in simple lyrics. Sidney’ Astrophil and Stella and Donne’s Songs and Sonnets are both mainly concerned with love. While Sidney and Donne though have similar concepts, their approaches are completely distinctive.
On one hand, Sydney’s interoperation of love is usually either sad or downright depressing as he at some point describes it as a captivated, weak and pitiful slavery. Sidney mimics his relationship with
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In The Sun Rising, however, Donne is very annoyed by the sun. He blames nature, seasons and lovers that leave him. Donne is mentally and emotionally stable here though, as he is literally telling the sun to go away because he is enjoying his bedtime with his lover. He’s asking the sun…Don’t you have better things to do? It’s like he finally got what he wanted and he does not want it to end, ever. In his familiar sarcastic tone, Donne makes readers understand that he is simply against time. Like The Flea, this poem is supposedly placed in an ulterior world rather than the real one in Donne’s mind and according to the poet, his world is much more superior and powerful than the other world. There is apparently much more to the world than known and he seems to think he has something than others don’t. His lover? Donne perceives her as his treasure, his indian spices. She is his world, or rather together, they are the world. Donne wants to keep looking at her and not miss any moment. He’s saying he could close his eyes to block the sun but then he would lose the chance to look at his lover, the sight of her, so he refuses to shut his eyes. He’s saying her eyes are brighter than the sun itself. He irrationally indicates all nations and royalties are metaphors or reflections of them and not the other way around. Donne is saying he’s the ruler, as he has all the treasure, his lover. He initially wanted the sun to leave, to go shin somewhere else and let them be. Donne contradicts himself when he then says that he and his lover, actually own the sun in their world and that the one shining on them now is just a replica. If the sun is under his control…can’t he just make it go away? That’s why Donne is at times confusing and hypocritical; he changes his arguments way too often. Donne calls the sun old man because it’s apparently tired so it should rest
In this essay I am going to compare and contrast ‘When we two parted’ a poem of George Gordon, Lord Byron’s written in 1815 and Letitia Elizabeth Landon’s ‘Love’s last lesson’ written in c1838, both poets are British and of the romantic period.
He uses the flea as an excuse for marriage and that they are now permitted to have sex. Out of desperation Donne shifts to a more religiously point of view by saying, “And sacrilege, three sinnes in killing three.” (Line 18) This means that if the woman kills the flea, she is killing the flea, him, herself, and God. However, the women squashes the flea along with his argument and Donne is left with one final go at convincing the woman. The final stanza of the poem expresses his sheer desperation to have sex with the woman as he deviates to using a lenient approach. He blames her not for killing the flea, but says that her act did not damage her honour in any way, and that she should still “yeeld’st to mee” (Line 26), or should still sleep with him. The content of The Flea demonstrates the exact sexist attitude that John Donne possessed when he wrote his early love poems. Likewise, the same desire for physical pleasure can be seen in the poem The Sunne Rising. This poem encompasses Donne’s ignorance of his surroundings and his obsession for sexual pleasure. Throughout the poem he attacks and challenges the sun with contempt, and does so by personifying it. He is obviously disturbed and troubled by the “unruly Sunne” (Line 1) and tells
A text is essentially a product of its context, as its prevailing values are inherently derived by the author from society. However, the emergence of post-modern theories allows for audience interpretation, thus it must be recognised that meaning in texts can be shaped and reshaped. Significantly, this may occur as connections between texts are explored. These notions are reflected in the compostion of Edson’s W;t and Donne’s poetry as their relationship is established through intertextual references, corresponding values and ideas and the use of language features. Edson particularly portrays key values surrounding the notions of the importance of loved based relationships, and death and resurrection: central themes of Donne’s Holy Sonnets
Love can be quite a difficult topic to write about, expressing one’s intimate and innermost emotions requires a great level of dedication and honesty. If done correctly, the outcome is truly stunning. John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” and Katherine Philips’s “To Mrs. M.A. at Parting” are two masterpieces of this genre. These poems depict the concept of true love so meticulously that the reader cannot help but envy the relationships presented. Perhaps the reason that these works are so effective is due to the fact that they are incredibly similar to each other. Although some differences are present when it comes to structure and gender concerns, the poems share the same theme of love on a spiritual level and show many parallels in meaning.
In “Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” the third stanza (lines 9-12) compares the married lovers separation to an earthquake. The idea brings panic and fear to mind and is thought to be catastrophic. Donne then says “Though greater far, is innocent.” (line 12), meaning that while the thought seemed so devastating, in reality it is just an innocent small rumble, or “bump in the road,” that doesn’t have damaging lasting effects. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the sunset is an important metaphor.
To this day John Donne is still considered to be one of the greatest love poets from England. He was born to a Elizabeth Heywood and John Donne, some time between January 24th and June 19th in 1572. His mother Elizabeth Heywood was the youngest of her siblings and the grand-niece to the Catholic Martyr Thomas More. His father John Donne was a prosperous London merchant, but his actual father died when Donne was only four and was believed to be a descendant from an ancient family in Wales. The family was Roman Catholic and this was a very anti-catholic period in England and this would greatly affect Donne in many ways throughout his life.
Both passages open like a traditional aubade with the lovers woken by the early signs of the morning. For Donne, it’s the sun, and for Juliet, it’s the first song of the lark. Both proceed to berate the signs of the impending morning for waking them and consequently tearing their lovers away from them. Donne refers to the sun as a “busy old fool” and a “saucy pedantic wretch”, claiming that the only power the sun has is over school boys and lazy apprentices, peasants, and kings (aiofesnotes.com). Likewise, Juliet belittles the lark for singing. The lark’s song was the first signal that morning was breaking. Its song is typically described as sweet and pleasant to the ear, however, Juliet calls the lark’s song harsh, as it serves as a warning that Romeo must leave before the house wakes. Juliet also does a bit of word play in this passage by telling Romeo that the call of the lark is just a nightingale. The nightingale is known as the singer of love, implying that it’s not yet time for the two lovers to part (Honneger
All love is fair if you trust the Love God with your all. Throughout this poetic piece, John Donne is speaking from the heart. The language presented is a sensation whom is loving, caring, adoring, and faithful. A past lover may have done him wrong and seems to ne reflected upon it. He speaks from the deepest of his soul, from a love so powerful that couldn't be. “Donne’s love poetry was written nearly four hundred years ago; yet one reason for its appeal is that it speaks to us as directly and urgently as if we overhear a present confidence.” (Poetry Foundation) The author mentions he has deep affections for a woman that does not reciprocate the same feelings. John Donne can not seem to conclude why the woman does not feel the same way about him if the woman has experienced love before. As hes speaking on his personal experiences it even gives off a sense of empathy towards the end of the
Sir Philip Sidney was one of the most known English poets in the Elizabethan era of time. Astrophel and Stella is said to have most likely been composed in the 1580s. It is considered an English sonnet sequence that overall contains 108 sonnets and 11 songs in total. The name Astrophel comes from Greek origin translating to star lover, ad Stella is originated from Latin which means star as well. In other words Astrophel is the star lover, and Stella is his star.
The end of the world is how sonnet 7 starts out. This is a reminder of the fire reference in sonnet 5, to which sonnet 7 has a strong connection. In this sonnet, the speaker wants to repent so that he will not die like the other mortals who sin. "All whom the flood did, and fire shall, o'erthrow,'; is an allusion to the Bible once again: the great flood, which Noah built his ark for, and the fire which is to cause the end of the world. And in the first two lines, Donne makes a specific allusion to the book of
This week’s lecture is about John Donne. This essay is going to cover the differences between Donne and Jonson, metaphysical poetry, Donne’s life, his work, techniques, religious poems & sermons, and the final poems. John Donne was very close with Ben Johnson and sometimes they were compared. However, they are extremely different people. These two men had different temperaments, personalities, and world outlook, etc.. During his time, Johnson was the more popular and influential between the two men. His was able to continue this popularity to other generations. Donne was only able to expand throughout a private group but he was well-known during his time and he was even admired by people. However, he was never able to compete against Johnson. He reputation even faded over several years but his work was able to make a comeback.
Near the end of the poem, Donne makes an unlikely comparison between the couple and a draftsman's compass. This is one of his most famous metaphysical conceits because the two elements which are being compared appear completely different, and yet, amazingly, Donne is able to connect them. He explains that his wife is his "fixed foot" that leans towards him as he roams and straightens again as he returns, but remains his center. Her firmness is what makes his circle complete, "[a]nd makes [him] end where [he] begun"(line 36). The imagery of the circle and the spheres in this poem solidify the eternity of their love and the knowledge that the speaker will always return to the place where he began. Donne's comparisons create an image of celebration rather than mourning.
Metaphysical poets use startling juxtapositions in their poetry to create a greater significance in their arguments and intended meanings throughout the poem. John Donne is said to be the unsurpassed metaphysical poet, metaphysical poetry being poetry relating to a group of 17-century English poets whose verse is typified by an intellectually arduous style, admitting extended metaphors and comparing very disparate things. In 17th century England new discoveries were being made and social customs such as men being the dominant over women still applied. Through Donne’s poetry we can see that he is goaded and confused by the new discoveries and the social customs avert him from reaching his desires. This is incalculably recognized in his
In this essay I will mainly focus on two poems written by John Donne, The Rising Sun and Death be not proud. These poems were written during the Elizabethan era, which was an era mainly characterized by love and colonialism, on separate terms of course. These principles often influenced poets who lived during this period. Their poetry acts as testimonies of their underlying thoughts and desires. Furthermore, metaphysical poets deliver a more divine and profound perspective to their poetry. Within their conceits, they manage to engage and delight themselves in deeper movements. This essay will further discuss how John Donne used death and the sun to his disposal. I will also critically analyse the two poems as well grasp on external aspects
I shall now talk about how religion relates to Donne’s poetry. His life passed during a major change of religion in England the king wanted all control of the church so he could divorce his wife, he declared himself head of the Church of England. My first poem that relates to religion is ‘The Flea’ in this poem Donne is trying to convince a woman to sleep with him by using religion to sanctify him sleeping with her for example when he says ‘Where we almost, nay more, than married are…our marriage bed, and marriage temple is[2]’, he makes the bed seem holy and that g-d wants them to sleep together this may of reassured her as it connects g-d and the church together to make everything alright and holy . This poem proves that Donne is a very