Donne: A Life Reflected in Poetry

It is always interesting to see how a writer’s life may have influenced his or her works. Looking back this week, I have taken the time to look more closely into John Donne’s biography found in the anthology, and look at how his life was mirrored by elements in his poetry. As the biography suggests, Donne’s works present a variety of meaning and attitude, which is most likely a result of the various events and feelings Donne experienced.

Donne had a roller-coaster of a life, and perhaps one of the more unique aspects of it is his secret marriage to Ann More, which resulted in the birth of 12 children. After learning of this, one might gain a different understanding of his poem, “The Flea”. Certainly a poem filled with lust, perhaps it was also a reflection of Donne’s secret love life. The woman in the poem gives off a sense of hesitation, perhaps as a 17 year old niece of the Lord Keeper might act. The speaker of the poem notes the criticism the lovers may face, and the fact that their acts may come off as sacrilegious. Furthermore, the footnotes suggest aspects of the poem may refer to pregnancy, and, again, we know that Donne had numerous children with Ann.

The lust of early poems changes into love as we move onto poems such as “The Good-Morrow”. Donne remained married to Ann for 16 years, until her death, so it seems clear their love was true, and not simply an act to satisfy culture. Evidenced in the lines:
“My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres,
Without sharp North, without declining West.”
Another poem full of love is “The Sun Rising”, which again combines worldly imagery with the theme of love and togetherness. The personification of the sun gives cheerful play to Donne’s love with Ann, and it is clear by reading the poem that they are happy in their marriage.

As happy as Donne’s marriage with Ann was, it came with moments of sadness and grief. Despite the birth of twelve children, there were also stillbirths. In addition, Ann passed away after the last stillbirth. Images of darkness and sadness are reflected in some of Donne’s later poems. Titles such as “The Apparition”, “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”, and “The Funeral”, we see a clear change from “The Good-Morrow” and “The Sun Rising”. One interesting thing I noticed was that again in “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”, Donne again uses this image of spheres as he did in “Good-Morrow”. Yet this time rather than being a good fit, he describes them as having “trepidation”, or movement. Almost as if the spheres that were so perfect together before have been torn.

A last point to look at is religion in Donne’s life. Obviously a huge part of his upbringing, it does not seem as though he was truly religious until later in his life. In looking at his poetry, this idea could hold true, seeing as there is not a huge focus on religion or even religious statements in some of his poems. This is then countered in the Holy Sonnets, where religion is the base.

Shakespeare Sonnets: The Whole Picture

In my high school chamber choir, we sang Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee"). It was set to gorgeous music, and I always had an image in my mind while singing the sonnet of this girl sitting in some beautiful open field. Yet I have never taken the time to sit down and read a large collection of Shakespeare's sonnets before. So I was intrigued when reading the introduction and discovering that the person addressed in the sonnets is intended to be a male, rather than a female. So naturally, my image of this girl sitting in a field was shattered as I re-read through Sonnet 18.

It made me consider how important it is to read the sonnets as a unit, rather than individual poems. If one were to read a single sonnet, the general point and theme of the sonnet could be understood. Yet not until you place it into context with the other sonnets can you fully grasp the meaning and gain new insight. The language makes it so easy to get caught up in an idea and stick to that idea, and it becomes common to overlook the details. Therefore, when looking at the entire set as a story, as the introduction suggests, you are able to better see where the narrator is coming from. For example, one of the more interesting sonnets to me was Sonnet 20. After realizing that Shakespeare is addressing a man in the early sonnets, it becomes clear that there is love and admiration for that man. Sonnets 15 and 20 are full of youthful love and praise. So when I got to Sonnet 20, I found the discussion about women versus men unique. It seems as though he likes certain womanly attributes that the young man has. An interesting sonnet about gender and love.

Of course, after reading the series of sonnets, one has to wonder how directly they apply to Shakespeare himself. Or rather, if the feelings and themes portrayed in the sonnets accurately reflect Shakespeare's life. I am certainly not a Shakespeare expert, but from the intro I do know he was married and had children. Of course, marriage and homosexuality were looked upon completely different in that time. It would be difficult to know for sure if the sonnets he wrote here are of truth to his own life. Perhaps they are, and the rumors and speculations are true. Yet maybe they are not, and the sonnets are simply art for art's sake, with no deeper, outside meaning. Maybe the mystery and speculation is what makes the sonnets so unique and intriguing.

Regardless, the language and style of the sonnets is classic and it would be hard to argue that Shakespeare was less than fascinating.

Lyric Sequence: Adele - 21

Recently at my internship, I had the chance to observe a live concert for a webcast featuring Adele. She released her second album, "21", last week, and I she was simply amazing to listen to. Such a powerful voice, and her new album shows personal growth from her first album. It is a perfect fit as an example of a lyrical sequence. The theme of love is consistent throughout, and deals with love lost. The album conveys the emotional stages of a failing relationship, and the overall narrative proves to be an emotional journey. In the opening number, "Rolling in the Deep" (embedded below), the singer shows resentment towards her ex-lover. She states how they "could have had it all", and expresses how he is losing out.



As the album continues, the singer embodies various feelings towards the breakup, contemplating the relationship that was. The final number, "Someone Like You" (embedded below) is a powerful ballad that wraps up the album. We see a sort of contradiction from "Rolling in the Deep", which opened the album, as the singer ultimately is saddened by the failed relationship. Her ex found someone new to love, and she wishes she too can find someone, realizing she must move on, "wishing only the best" for her ex, and hoping she can be lucky enough to find "someone like you".




*Note, this version is especially powerful and unique, as we hear Adele's own account of the song and album. She sings it here live from her house.

If you enjoy what you hear, I highly recommend listening to other tracks on the album, including "Turning Tables" and "Lovesong" (which is a cover version of an original song by The Cure).