John Donne's metaphysical poetic work A Valediction: Of Weeping explores the emotional end of a relationship between the narrator and his lover, specifically focusing on their emotional response externally through tears to express their mutual adoration. The poem also follows the speaker's developing opinion of what crying and tears represent and mean to him and his relationship with the listener. Through Donne's broad and dramatic mastery of metaphor, as well as the use of non-tropical figures of thought, tropes, and devices, the reader is able to delve into the reader's world and imagination when saying goodbye to one's lover and also it makes us question whether the relationship allows the other to create or will simply end in destruction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first stanza of the poem represents a man who is tormented by the anguish of leaving his lover and wishes to express how much of a deep affection the pain is having on him through the shedding of tears. The speaker initially makes it clear to his lover that he wishes to cry in her presence before leaving on a long journey that will separate them and end their relationship. Using the phrase; “Let me pour it,” illustrates to the reader that the lover has an element of power over the speaker, as he asks her permission if he can act on her emotions, and by using the word “pour it” conveys the idea of ​​an immense wave of tears he wants to shed to encapsulate his pain. In line 3, where Donne uses sibilance in describing the metaphor of her tears becoming coins printed with the image of her lover, she allows the line to swell and lead to the next one, which shows how it is only through the reflection of the lover that tears receive any form. Of value. In describing what the contents of the tears represent to him, the speaker describes them as “pregnant” and “fruitful,” which gives them a metaphor for creation and also for the female reproductive organs, as if she were the sole cause of his pain and is responsible for whether it destroys him or not. The last two lines of the first stanza contain a rather complex metaphor, as it could mean that the speaker is distressed at having to part with his lover in every sense, or it is an act of bitterness and a sudden harsh reality of what their relationship will become: "When a tear falls, the one it brought falls, so you and I are nothing then, when we are on another shore." devoid of meaning, it becomes "nothingness". Both the tears and the ocean that separate lovers from each other are bodies of water, and so they too signify the separation they will undoubtedly face. The word “fall” also has connotations of infidelity and calls into question what the true nature of the relationship is. This highlights how truly equivocal John Donne's poetry can be, as it allows the reader to interpret the lovers however they wish. The first stanza of the poem begins the conceit that encompasses its three stanzas as a whole, in which we discover how many ways tears can be represented and significant to the speaker and his bond with his lover. The second stanza begins with another spherical object, but instead of the speaker's tear, he is describing the world without geographic lands; a “round ball”. By using metonymy to describe a world that has yet to be created to give it meaning, it ties a link between the earth and the speaker's tears; without the lover's reflection that gives meaning to his tears, even then it is "nothing." Donne also uses irony whendescribes how a workman would create a globe: “And quickly make that, which was nothing, everything; so every tear you wear, a globe, yea, a world, from that impression grows.” Just as a worker creates something beautiful from practically nothing, so too Donne was able to take something as simple as a teardrop, and transform it to represent the earth, the sky, and the entire universe that these two lovers share through its use master of presumption. By using parembols when saying "yes world", he shows how the tear is a microcosm that symbolizes the macrocosm of the entire world of lovers. The tear is a product of the life and world they created together, and is bracketed to emphasize this. Again, similar to the first stanza, the last two lines of the second stanza are open to multiple interpretations: “Till your tears mingled with mine overflow This world; by the waters sent by you, my sky has thus dissolved. ”The final lines could represent the lovers' physical world or the emotional reaction to the pain of others. By separating, they are physically destroying the life they created together, and emotionally, if one of them gives up crying in front of the other, they will be tormented forever. It is obvious in the final line that the speaker's happiness depends on her lover, and this is illustrated through the hyperbole that love and happiness are "heaven." The conceit has now developed as a metaphor that encompasses the totality of the world and the spiritual realm, illustrating how this love created everything for them and their pain has the potential to demolish everything. The final stanza represents the phase in which the conceit is taken to its maximum extent, as the tear has now completely transformed into another globe; the moon. In this final metaphor, we can see how much power the lover actually has over the speaker and especially over their pain. The first line of the verse; “O more than moon” uses assonance and alliteration to make the speaker's statement sound mysterious and loving, as he adores his lover, but is nevertheless wary of the level of power she has over him, and this is something he does not I want to experiment. Within this stanza the turning point occurs; when the speaker changes his stance on shedding tears and believes that it will only bring more pain. This is effective as it showcases the paradoxes within the relationship, as both want to show the other that they care, but don't want this to destroy each other. Women who personifies the sea and the wind in this verse, highlights the unpredictability that is characterized by pain, how experiencing an insurmountable amount of any kind of emotion is extremely overwhelming, and how it usually does more harm than good to the person you love. The last two lines of the entire poem end with a rather appropriate form of Donne poetry; with a paradoxical statement. "Sighs" are usually connoted by being alive or longing lovingly for someone or something, but for the speaker it would bring neither them nor their lover anything but insurmountable pain and sorrow. We are left with the paradox that each of the lovers has the capacity to create and destroy, to strengthen each other or tear each other down, and this is left open to elucidation by the reader. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, A Valediction: Of Weeping by John Donne is a complex, multifaceted poem that explores not only the triumphs and challenges the two lovers face as they decide how to overcome their grief, but also how as a reader to be open to interpretation. Through.. 2020.