Poetry/Meditation Explanation and Argument: Analyze one of the John Donne poems or Meditation 17 by addressing one of the following questions: (1) Why is it considered metaphysical conceit? (2) How does it use irony to convey its message? (3) Is it a poem/meditation of logic or emotion? Use textual evidence to discuss and write an original, concise thesis statement to support your position. 200 words.
11 Comments
Victor B
11/17/2013 09:44:56 pm
Meditation 17 is considered a metaphysical conceit because the entire poem is about his relationship with god and death. There are several ways it uses irony and one way is how he relates life to a book he says chapter is not torn out of a book but translated so when someone dies they are not forgotten but translated to be come someone new. He uses Amplification of the bell toe express of people dying because when the bell rings it lets the entire town know that someone has died. I believe the poem is both logic and emotion he uses emotions like she baptizes a child which means the catholic church using she as if she is a person. (thesis ) In meditation 17 man kind is like a book it may come to the end like a chapter but you can continue to turn the page and move on with the book just like your life.
Reply
Kira M
11/18/2013 12:27:23 am
I feel that John Donne's Meditation 17 is about logic but it's meant to evoke emotion. Donne says "no man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent" which is him saying that all people need other people. We are all apart of the community of the world, even if one wants to be separate from others, humans are social creatures, we need each other. Which applies to us in a logical sense but also brings about an emotional agreement, there are some emotions that can only be brought about by another person, therefore we need others in our lives. Also, by saying "all mankind is of one author, and is one volume, when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language" Donne means that every human is interconnected, we are all apart of one giant community.
Reply
Frida E.
11/18/2013 06:22:20 pm
I feel that John Donne's poem, "A valediction: Forbidding mourning" is a poem that does not only consist of emotions, but also some logic. John Donne wrote this poem for his wife when he left to France, he wanted to reassure her that his love for her is eternally. He tells his beloved wife to behave with quiet dignity, to not be sad and cry because he would soon be back. In the poem he uses strong imagery and figures of speech to show the readers the emotionally bond between him and his wife. He describes their souls as one, and compares it to a compass: they will always end up together no matter what. I think this poem is mostly about emotions, the bond between two lovers, and how soulmates cannot be split apart. However, I think he also meant for some logic to be interpreted through his poem. For me it is logical that two people that have such a bond will never split apart, that they will end up at the same destination no matter what. I believe that there is that special someone out there for everyone, and I think it is only logical that when you've met this person you will never be eternally split apart. This poem is clearly written to evoke emotions, the strong feelings between loved ones, but also to make people realize the logical means. It is logical that two soulmates will mourn and miss each other, but they believe enough in their love to stay strong, even during tough times.
Reply
August W.
11/19/2013 04:53:42 am
John Donne's poem "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" is considered metaphysical piece because Donne talks about how when one lover is away from the other that they are never truly away and that they always have contact through spirit, and because of the anchor one lover acts to the other the lover gone away will eventually return home. Donne's poem uses irony to convey his message because the distance between two people who love each other back then was measured by the mile and not by the byte so the distance truly was great and was reason to be sad for the leaving of one from another, and the use of a compass to represent how the outward bound lover will always return to the anchor. Donne's poem is one of both logic and emotion because Donne appeals to emotions when he tells the audience that you are always connected to the one you love no matter the distance, but he also uses logic in this same idea because the distance is relative and the date gone between two is not very long and soon enough they will be reunited and one again.
Reply
Dennis. K
11/19/2013 05:17:27 am
Reply
Monsieur Clement
11/19/2013 02:23:05 pm
John Donne's poem or sonnet, "Death, be not proud," is a wonderful work of literature. Even while being called "Holy Sonnet 10," this sonnet is the host to many ironies, but unlike most hosts, its guests do not take from it. Contrary to this, the ironies enveloped and spun into this poem, help to develop and convey the message of the story. This sonnet uses different ironies, one of such being, “For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow Die not…” Death’s only job is to take the lives of those who have come to the end of theirs and to say that Death has not done his job, but just thought he has done it, is ironic. Another irony is when Donne says, “…poor Death…” This is ironic, because no one would expect anyone to take pity on the immortal reaper of souls. “…nor yet canst thou kill me,” is an unexpected challenge to Death, saying that Death is unable to do what he is known for. In Donne’s Holy Sonnet he compares life to sleep and death to awakening, which is ironic, because when one thinks of death, they realize how similar death and sleep are. He also says to “Death, thou shalt die.” Which is the most ironic, if not blaspheme, part of the poem, because Death is an immortal concept that cannot be destroyed or die. All these ironies convey the message that Death should not be feared, because all he does is awake you to a new much better life. John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 10,” is full of ideas that can never be and bold quotes that are unexpected. “Death, Be Not Proud” is an ironic sonnet.
Reply
Berk Dikici
11/20/2013 05:28:18 am
The poem "A Valediction:Forbidding Mourning" written by John Donne,is about lovers who are forced to be apart from one another for a while.The man goes to France and to other countries,while his wife stays home in England.The "man" (poet) is basically saying our love is strong and he compare their love to a earthquake ,which it is "harmless" compared to their love.This poem is a metaphysical conceit,because he uses a metaphysical conceit, which compares the husband and wife who are one being separated. The.The poem has ironies ,for example when he compares their love to dying old men("men pass mildly away"),earthquake ("Moving of th'earth" line 9) and a compass ("twin compasses are two" line 26).The poet uses irony to flatter the intelligence of the reader and to amused him.I think the poem is more about emotion than logic, because it describes the situation of a couple or husband and wife relationship who are apart from each other.The way John Donne describes love and couple being apart, forms a perfect picture of love to the reader and at ironies it makes the reader think what he really wants to say.
Reply
Bradley R.
11/30/2013 10:54:10 pm
John Donne's death, be not proud uses irony to create and image of death being defeated. In the poem John insults death by showing that it can be defeated. The idea that death can die when it kills you in the physical realm. This ironic state shows two aspects to what John Donne also believes. It shows that he sees death as something that is for mortals. Then when you die that death no longer affects and in that concept death dies. This is ironic because one would think that death cannot be killed since it is death. Then john shows that death is merely a small part of one's long life they have to live. Then situational irony is presented when he talks about the ways one can die. For example, he stated the main reason is fate, then 3 subdivisions; chance, kings, and desperate men. This is ironic because it shows how little of things there are out there too kill you but everyone will die from them. the irony used creates and accurate description of what John desires to show the reader.
Reply
MitchellD
12/5/2013 04:27:47 am
Meditation 17 is a poem that would be considered metaphysical conceit for the following reasons. Firstly it contains comparisons that emphasize much more than an average comparison. The bell not only symbolizes the passing of oneself. In the days of old and even today bells, in some cases, signified death. Bells ringing at a funeral have shown death in many a movie and book. In other cases bells signify a new beginning. Bells ringing at weddings are for this exact reason. In Meditation 17 the bells not only signify death but also a new begining
Reply
Cullen Ennis
12/8/2013 10:06:27 pm
John Donne's Meditation 17 is a poem with a very somber subject matter; it contains many examples of metaphysical conceit, as it relies heavily on comparisons between very dissimilar things, such as the toll of a bell representing death. "Perchance he for whom this bell tolls, may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him...." Irony arises in the comparison of life to a book in God's library, which draw's a connection between a worldly thing (a library) and God, who is above the world."All mankind is of one Author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language...." The work should not be looked at entirely as a logical appeal, but also an emotional appeal, as it draws from many ideas that are logical, including that everyone dies at some point, but it also deals with many theoretical ideas, that draw on human emotions. "No man hath affliction enough that is not matured, and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction." Death, money, affliction, age, and life after death are some of the emotional topics that were developed in the poem.
Reply
Alec J
12/11/2013 06:06:53 am
John Donne's "Meditation 17" is a metaphysical piece for many reasons. He uses various metaphysical conceits for example when he compares all of humanity to a book written by God and extends this analogy by going on to say that "when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language". By this he probably meant the transition into heaven or hell depending on your life. He also compares the bell to a symbol of life, of death and basically every other relevant event that connects all human beings. These are metaphysical conceits because they go beyond a simple metaphor or analogy but connect a simple object like a book or a bell with an abstract idea to create a bigger meaning.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2015
Categories |
|