A Valediction:

John Donne
Module A Comparative
Study with W;t

By: Ridwan Usamah and Adam El Mohamad

The main ideas of the poem
1) The poem explores the Cartesian duality in relation to
love, whereby Donne focuses on the physical and the
metaphysical-that of which cannot be seen
2) Donne utilises a conceit, which is a technique in which
two incomparable things, are compared. In this poem, a
compass is compared to Donnes love of Ann, which is
his wife. Also, because their love is true, Donnes
separation from his wife does not affect their relationship
as their souls are still one. Therefore, they are merely
experiencing an expansion of this love.

3) Donne explores how since his love is metaphysical, it is

superior to any other form of love.
 Links to Donnes personal
context
-Donne had written this poem for his wife before he went to
France in 1611, reassuring her of their love.

-A Valediction conveys Donnes value of true love, metaphysical

love. In his younger years, Donne was promiscuous and blind to
the love he discusses in his poem. He was merely lustful as a
young man, unlike the love he demonstrates towards his wife in A
Valediction, which is beyond the physical.
 Links to Donnes religious
context
- The compass within A Valediction is also symbolic of religion
as God created the world with a compass - Catholic belief.
- This link to religious context is furthered in Donnes poem as
he describes the heavenly bodies, which are divine creations
of God, rotating in celestial spheres.
Links to Science, The Age of voyages/discovery,
Invention/Technology, Cosmology, Geography
- Invention: The compass was invented by Galileo and it represents
widespread knowledge and technology being brought into the known world.
Donne utilises the compass conceit within The Valediction to represent the
metaphysical nature of his love for his wife. The conceit is also used to show
that there is a need for a physical connection to the body even while searching
for the metaphysical.
- Links to Science/Philosophy: Cartesian duality is a notion about how man
consists of physical and a metaphysical components, such as the soul and the
body. Ren Descartes, a French mathematician and philosopher, gave rise to
the idea. In A Valediction, Donne utilises Cartesian duality as the basis for his
argument that his love for his wife is the strongest. This is due to the fact that
this love is beyond the physical, it includes the metaphysical.

- Links to cosmology and geography: Within A Valediction, Donne makes

reference to trepidation of the spheres. The spheres Donne is referring to
are the ways in which entities moved above the Earth. Basically, the heavenly
bodies which includes the moon, planets, stars and the sun, moved in
concentric spheres. Each sphere moved with unique motions, vibrations, and
alignments. Overall, this created "celestial music, which ultimately controlled
everything in the universe. In relation to this, Donne refers to the Moving of
thearth as bringing harmes ad feares. Here, he is describing the chaos in
which Earthquakes bring and how they are much more noticeable. However,
irregularities in the movements of these heavenly bodies is far more naturally
disrupting, yet it is unobserved and harmless when compared with
earthquakes. This is evidenced by Donnes saying of Though greater farre, is
 3 Techniques.
Pick strong ones that link to context/personal/ religious context
Technique
Metaphor of the earthquakes and celestial
spheres:
Moving of thearth brings harmes and
feares.., But trepidation of the spheares,
Though greater farre, is innocent
Paradox of the conceit:
If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two
The conceit within the line Though I must
goe, endure not yet a breach, but an
expansion
Effect/ Link to context
-Geographical context, the earthquakes
-Cosmological context, the celestial spheres
The metaphor generates a deeper meaning
for what Donne is trying to communicate to
both the readers and his wife-the
metaphysical is more powerful than the
physical.
-Donne utilises the paradox to convey how
although he will be physically separated from
his wife, they will still be connected through
the metaphysical, like a compass.
-Links to the personal context of Donne, his
love for his wife
-Links to the context of invention (the
compass) and philosophy (Cartesian duality,
the physical and the metaphysical)
The conceit is utilised by Donne to reinforce
the fact that his love for his wife is beyond
that of which is physical, hence it will merely
experience an expansion, and not a
breach.
-Links to personal context of Donne, his love
for his wife
-Links to the context of invention (the
 If you can think of any links to W;t?
Its okay, we will study W;t next year

-Both W;t and A Valediction share the same message that

transcendence, which is rising up to heaven, is achieved
through a combination of the physical and the intellectual.
-Both texts represent the idea that the intellect and the
metaphysical is much more powerful than the physical.