21 pages • 42 minutes read
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
John Donne (1572-1631) wrote “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” in 1611 or 1612 for his wife, Anne, though it was not published until 1633 in Songs and Sonnets. Donne’s 17th century biographer, Izaak Walton, believed Donne penned the poem as he prepared to embark on an extended trip to Europe with Sir Robert Drury. In this case, the poem is most likely meant to be a consolation to Anne and addresses their secret love affair.
Another popular, less biographical, reading of the poem suggests it is about the imagined inevitable death of the speaker and his attempt to mediate his lover’s anticipated grief. In either case, “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” confronts themes of faith, romantic love, death, and corporeality. It is predominately written in iambic tetrameter and consists of nine quatrains in an ABAB rhyme scheme. As the title suggests, the poem is a valediction: a statement or address made as a farewell.
Unlike many of Donne’s poems, which are known to employ irregular metrical schemes, this valediction adheres to a relatively simple iambic tetrameter. The argument of sacred and holy love able to transcend the limits of human corporeality is central to the poem. Using metaphysical Unlock all 21 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By John Donne
