Page 167 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 10: Poetry : John Donne’s “The Good Morrow”

Unit 10 : Poetry : John Donne’s “The Good Morrow” Notes

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
10.1 Poem—The Good Morrow
10.2 Critical Appreciation
10.3 Summary
10.4 Key-Words
10.5 Review Questions
10.6 Further Readings
Objectives

After reading this unit students will be able to:
• Know about John Donne.
• Discuss Donne’s “The Morrow”.

Introduction

John Donne (1572-1631) is credited with the honour of being the poet who broke the Petrarchan
tradition in England and created a new mode of poetry. Rather than a complete breach, Donne’s
poetry is a widening of the scope of the Elizabethan tradition. He implements already existing modes
in every aspect: new metrical schemes (although he will return to the sonnet in his last works), a rich
and original imagery, a colloquial, conversational tone, and a mingling of intellect and passion which
disconcerted his contemporaries: he and his followers were labeled as “metaphysical poets.” Not
that Donne’s poems have any philosophical intention: his themes are the traditional ones, although
renewed by a new attitude: love, religious feeling, satire.
The love poems correspond roughly to the early period of his career. He abandons the rigid Elizabethan
conventions, which sprung from Petrarchism, and adds realism, sincerity, psychological penetration
and a great variety of moods enhanced with images taken from every field of experience.
Some of his love poems are harsh and cynical; others are nearly ecstatic, and celebrate love as the
supreme thing in the world. The most famous among these are “The Sun Rising,” “The Dreame” and
“The Good-Morrow”.
Love as the supreme experience suggests to Donne connections between it and other aspects of reality:
everything can be used to try to describe an ineffable feeling. His imagery ranges from the vulgar to
the sublime, from daily activities to old scientific theories; it may be of a deplorable bad taste or
combine sheer originality with beauty and accuracy. It is never ornamental: the poet seems to think
that sensation must be subordinated to thought. Much the same happens with the sound pattern of
his poems, which is very far away from the smoothness of previous poets. Rhythm is secondary; at
its best, it merely helps to underline ideas.
10.1 Poem—The Good Morrow

I WONDER by my troth, what thou, and I
Did, till we lov’d? were we not wean’d till then?
But suck’d on countrey pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the seaven sleepers den?
T’was so; But this, all pleasures fancies bee.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 161