A Valediction Forbidding Mourning Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
Q: Who is the author of the poem?
A: The author of the poem is John Donne.
Q: What is the title of the poem?
A: The title of the poem is “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”.
Q: What is the main theme of the poem?
A: The main theme of the poem is the enduring nature of true love.
Q: How does the speaker want his beloved to react to his departure?
A: The speaker wants his beloved to part quietly without any outward show of tears or sighs.
Q: What does ‘sublunary lovers’ love’ refer to?
A: ‘Sublunary lovers’ love’ refers to physical, sensual love.
Q: What does the speaker compare their love to in the poem?
A: The speaker compares their love to a pair of compasses.
Q: What does the speaker mean by ‘a breach, but an expansion’?
A: The speaker means that their separation is not a break but an expansion of their love.
Q: What does the speaker compare the expansion of their love to?
A: The speaker compares the expansion of their love to gold beaten to thinness.
Q: What does the speaker identify himself as in the compass metaphor?
A: The speaker identifies himself as the roaming foot of the compass.
Q: What does the speaker say about the fixed foot of the compass?
A: The speaker says that the fixed foot leans and hearkens after the roaming foot.
Q: What does the speaker say about the roaming foot of the compass?
A: The speaker says that the roaming foot must run obliquely.
Q: What does the speaker say about the beloved’s firmness?
A: The speaker says that the beloved’s firmness makes his circle just.
Q: What does the speaker say about his circle?
A: The speaker says that his circle ends where it began.
Q: What poetic device is used in the line ‘No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move’?
A: The poetic device used is hyperbole.
Q: What poetic device is used in the line ‘Like gold to airy thinness beat’?
A: The poetic device used is simile.
Q: What poetic device is used in the line ‘As stiff twin compasses are two’? A: The poetic device used is metaphor.
Q: What type of poetry is “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”?
A: “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is a metaphysical poem.
Q: What is a metaphysical poem?
A: A metaphysical poem is a type of poetry characterized by intellectual and philosophical themes, complex metaphors, and paradoxes.
Q: What is a metaphysical conceit?
A: A metaphysical conceit is a complex, and often startling, metaphor used in metaphysical poetry.
Short Answer Questions
Q: What is the significance of the title “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”?
A: The title “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is significant as it sets the tone for the poem. A ‘valediction’ is a farewell speech or message. ‘Forbidding Mourning’ suggests that the speaker is asking his beloved not to mourn his departure. The title thus encapsulates the poem’s theme of enduring love that transcends physical separation.
Q: How does the speaker use the metaphor of death in the first stanza?
A: In the first stanza, the speaker uses the metaphor of death to describe his impending departure. He compares his leaving to the peaceful passing of virtuous men, suggesting that their separation should be accepted with the same quiet resignation as death. This metaphor sets the tone for the theme of departure and separation that runs throughout the poem.
Q: How does the speaker use the metaphor of an earthquake in the third stanza?
A: In the third stanza, the speaker uses the metaphor of an earthquake to describe their separation. He suggests that their separation, though potentially disruptive like an earthquake, is innocent. The ‘trepidation of the spheres’ refers to the movement of celestial bodies, which is greater but harmless. This metaphor underscores the idea that their love is so profound and spiritual that it can withstand the ‘earthquakes’ of physical separation.
Q: What does the speaker mean by ‘sublunary lovers’ love’ in the fourth stanza?
A: In the fourth stanza, ‘sublunary lovers’ love’ refers to physical, sensual love. ‘Sublunary’ refers to the region of the universe below the moon, symbolizing things that are earthly or mundane. The speaker contrasts this type of love with his own spiritual love, which he suggests is so refined and profound that it transcends physical presence.
Q: How does the speaker use the metaphor of a compass in the seventh stanza?
A: In the seventh stanza, the speaker introduces the metaphor of a compass to describe their love. The two legs of the compass represent the speaker and his beloved, who are separate yet connected by their love. This metaphor is extended in the following stanzas, where the speaker identifies himself as the roaming foot of the compass and his beloved as the fixed foot.
Q: How does the speaker use the simile of gold in the sixth stanza?
A: In the sixth stanza, the speaker uses the simile of gold to describe the expansion of their love. He suggests that their love, like gold, can be stretched and expanded without breaking. This simile underscores the idea that their love is malleable and enduring, capable of withstanding the pressures of physical separation.
Q: What is the significance of the compass metaphor in the poem?
A: The compass metaphor is significant as it encapsulates the central theme of the poem – the enduring nature of true love. The speaker and his beloved are represented as the two legs of the compass, separate yet connected. Even when one leg (the speaker) roams far away, the other leg (the beloved) remains fixed yet responsive to the movement of the roaming leg. This metaphor beautifully illustrates the idea of love as a spiritual connection that remains unbroken despite physical separation.
Q: How does the poem reflect the characteristics of metaphysical poetry?
A: “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” reflects the characteristics of metaphysical poetry through its use of intellectual and philosophical themes, complex metaphors (like the compass), paradoxes (like the idea of a love so refined that they themselves do not know what it is), and the exploration of love as a spiritual rather than physical connection. These elements are characteristic of the metaphysical poetry of John Donne.
Q: How does the poem explore the theme of love?
A: The poem explores the theme of love as a profound, spiritual connection that transcends physical presence. The speaker suggests that their love is so refined and spiritual that it can withstand the pressures of physical separation. This is illustrated through various metaphors and similes, such as the compass and the gold, which underscore the enduring and malleable nature of their love.
Q: How does the poem conclude?
A: The poem concludes with the speaker identifying himself as the roaming foot of the compass that must run obliquely. The beloved’s firmness makes his circle just and brings him back to where he began. This final stanza brings the compass metaphor to a close, emphasizing the unity and reciprocity of their love. It suggests that no matter how far the speaker roams, he will always return to his beloved, thus underscoring the enduring nature of their love.
