John Donne: Poems

Provoking situations that entertain and challenge the readers of 'To His Mistress Going To Bed' and 'The Ecstasy' 11th Grade

Utilizing multidisciplinary knowledge gained from analysis of critical readings grants the individual the ability to better understand and judge the ways in which John Donne writes through a metaphysical lens that establishes thought provoking situations that both entertain and challenge the ideas of the reader. Donne, throughout his many works such as ‘To His Mistress Going To Bed’ and ‘The Ecstasy’ creates cleverly constructed arguments that exhibit the discourse of love and equate the strength of body and soul.

In my opinion, Donne cleverly constructs an argument that there is a mutual interdependence between the body and soul, that challenges the reader to conform to his unusual ideas. For instance, in ‘to his mistress going to bed’, Donne intrinsically equates both the physical and spiritual aspects of love making through a simile of ‘thou Angel brings with thee, A heaven like Mahomet’s Paradise’. The simile of Mahomet’s paradise in relation to the idea of love being mutually interdependent suggests that Donne understands love-making to be in a place of sensory or physical delight. However in addressing his lover in a reverend tone as ‘thou angel’ and reinforcing his desire in a cleverly utilized crude pun on his ‘upright...

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