08 A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning

Happy Literature

‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ by John Donne is an incredibly famous poem. In it, Donne uses one of his famous conceits to depict the steadfast nature of his love. A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning is a personal poem showing the pure love and devotion of the poet to his beloved.

John wrote this poem on the occasion of parting from his wife, Anne More Donne, in late 1611. Donne was going on a diplomatic mission to France, leaving his wife behind in England. A "valediction" is a farewell speech. This poem cautions against grief about separation, and affirms the special, particular love the speaker and his lover share. Like most of Donne's poems.

It was not published until after his death, appearing in the collection Songs and Sonnets. ”A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ is divided into sets of four lines, or quatrains.

Author : John Donne (born sometime between Jan. 24 and June 19, 1572, London, Eng.—died March 31, 1631, London), was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a cleric in the Church of England. Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London. He is considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/happy-literature/message