Word Meaning

Sweetest love I do not go Summary

This poem, “Sweetest love, I do not go,” is a work by John Donne, a 17th-century English poet. Donne is known for his metaphysical poetry, characterized by intellectual and often elaborate metaphors and a deep exploration of complex emotions. This particular poem reflects Donne’s exploration of love, mortality, and the uncertainties of life.

In the first stanza, the speaker addresses a “sweetest love” and reassures that their departure is not due to weariness or the hope of finding a better love elsewhere. However, the speaker acknowledges the inevitability of death and suggests that it’s best to treat life as a jest, feigning deaths along the way.

The second stanza uses the metaphor of the sun, suggesting that even though it appears to set (yesternight), it rises again. The speaker uses this to convey that there is no need to fear their departure, as they will return swiftly with more determination and speed.

The third stanza reflects on the fragility of human power, noting that good fortune cannot add time to life, nor can lost time be recovered. The speaker acknowledges that adversity prompts humans to use their strength and intelligence to overcome challenges.

The fourth stanza explores the profound impact of the beloved on the speaker’s life. The imagery of sighing and weeping suggests a deep emotional connection, and the speaker questions the sincerity of the beloved’s love if it leads to the wasteful decay of the speaker’s life.

In the final stanza, the speaker addresses the beloved directly, asking not to anticipate any ill fate. The speaker acknowledges the role of destiny and fears but suggests that true lovers, those who keep each other alive, are never truly parted, even in death.

Overall, the poem is a meditation on love, mortality, and the uncertainties of life, expressed through rich metaphors and deep emotional exploration, characteristic of John Donne’s poetic style.

Key Points

Author The poem is written by John Donne, an English metaphysical poet, and Christian cleric.

Form The poem is a five-stanza piece, each stanza separated into sets of eight lines, or octaves. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABABCDDC. This pattern is followed in each of the five stanzas of the poem.

Speaker The speaker in the poem is the poet himself, John Donne.

Setting The setting of the poem is not explicitly mentioned, but it revolves around the speaker’s impending departure from his lover.

Theme The main themes of the poem are love, departure, and death.

Plot The poem begins with the speaker stating that he is going to have to leave. This does not mean the end of their relationship though as he doesn’t actually want to go. His departure will be like the setting of the sun. He’ll be gone briefly but return as the sun does in the morning. The speaker compares himself to the sun again, this time in common steadfastness.

Tone The tone of the poem is consoling and reassuring, as the speaker tries to comfort his lover about his impending departure.

Style Donne’s style is characterized by abrupt openings, various paradoxes, ironies, and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax, and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques.

Message The message of the poem is that true love transcends physical boundaries and temporary separations. The speaker reassures his lover that just like the sun that sets and rises again, he too will return to her. He emphasizes the power of love to endure separations and the inevitability of death.

John Donne

Birth and Early Life: John Donne was born in 1572 in London, England. He was the third of six children..

Education: Donne was educated at home by private tutors until he went to Hart Hall, Oxford, at age 11. He left Oxford after three years.

Marriage: In 1601, Donne secretly married Anne More, with whom he had twelve children.

Works: Donne is known for his metaphysical poetry. His works are notable for their realistic and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, and sermons.

Career: Donne began his career as a lawyer. He later became a cleric in the Church of England.

Death: Donne died on 31 March 1631.

Legacy: Despite his great education and poetic talents, Donne lived in poverty for several years, relying heavily on wealthy friends. He spent much of the late 16th and early 17th centuries writing letters of recommendation for patrons in hopes of securing employment, and his literary reputation remained in obscurity until 20th-century scholars rediscovered him.