The Circle Of Souls In John Donne’s A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
Beginning of paper
Why would one wish to forbid that which comes most naturally at the instant of separation? The act of mourning is not solely directed towards the outside, it consoles the self, by following what has been proscribed we attempt to bring back to our lives a semblance of the order that existed before ....
Middle of paper
.... language throughout his poem eventually ending it with an image of a circle, the symbol of perfection. This perfection is attained by parting at the beginning of the circle and reuniting at the point where the curves reconnect. Donne’s monologue is unique because he uses metaphysical comparisons to show the union of the lovers during their period of separation.
The poem begins with a metaphysical comparison between virtuous dying men whispering to their souls to leave their bodies and the t ....
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Word count: 1287
Page count: 5 (approximately 250 words per page)
