LOVE, LOSS AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL IMAGINATION IN THE POETRY OF JOHN DONNE

Abstract

John Donne’s poetry has been a seminal contribution in bringing to fore the concept of love, the complexities involved in exploring characters in expressing love, the role of religion and how it reinforces love, various moods, emotions and expressions while true love is being exchanged, including the sexual favours. This paper analyses the various underlying themes in Donne’s poems and how they came to shape the concept of love as portrayed in English literature. The paper also analyses ways in which Donne’s approach has been different in explaining various facets of love and loss of separation and how various facets of a romantic relationship exhibited itself. The paper lays emphasis on the literary tools employed by John in expressing his ideas – conceits, paradoxes, metaphors, similes, contradictions, juxtapositions, heterogeneity etc. For him, love was all pervading – nothing could exist without love, and gave more emphasis to love than the material, worldly affairs. Juxtaposed against the restoration era, he explored various moods in which lovers engage in and connected them to the way love can be a panacea for all. The paper also analyses various poetic works of John Donne – The Flea, The Good Morrow, Songs and Sonnets, The Sun Rising, The Indifferent etc. – in order to derive the various moods in which the works are prepared, and how through an intelligent combination of wit, wisdom, religion, reason and passion of love, Donne presents his own unique take on the theme of love. Though there have been criticisms about his works, but there has been a realization about the richness of his works and how they had an indelible impact on the English literature. By wading through seemingly paradoxical themes and complex immutable concepts, John elucidates how love connects them all. The paper explores the underlying themes in his works, and how geographical imaginations are intelligently used to arrive at a sensual romantic world, when compared to the monotonous voyage discoveries made in the post Industrial Revolution Europe.