McIntyre 1
Meg McIntyre
Dr. Jennifer Golightly
English 2200
22 January 2014
John Donne and the Elevation of Love
When explicating poetry, the author’s specific word choice is often one of the most
imperative things to consider. The exchange of a certain word for another can alter the meaning
of the entire poem or provide a different context to the descriptions therein. Additionally, when a
word has multiple definitions or meanings, the reader is presented with several perspectives from
which to view the poem. For this reason, it is essential to explore the meanings behind the words
chosen by the author, as well as their role in determining the prominent themes and motifs found
within the piece. This concept of interpretation can be applied to the poem “A Valediction:
Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne. Written from Donne to his wife to assuage her concerns
about being apart for an extended amount of time, the poem focuses on the everlasting love
between the speaker and his companion. This poem is full of complicated metaphors, called
conceits, which illustrate this love, as well as comparisons between the love of the speaker and
the love of others. In these descriptions, one may find a wealth of words which may be analyzed
for their effect on the overall meaning of the poem. By examining the use of the word
“sublunary” within “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” one can more thoroughly explicate
the theme of eternal love found therein.
Within “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” this word is used in order to compare the
love of the speaker and his companion to the love of others: “Dull sublunary lovers’ love /
(Whose soul is sense) cannot admit / Absence, because it doth remove / Those things which
McIntyre 2
elemented it” (Donne 1386). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, one prevailing
definition describes the word as “inferior; subordinate.” The first recorded use of the word in
1601 also uses the word “inferior” in conjunction with sublunary, referring to objects on Earth as
“inferiour & sublunary bodies” when compared to the Sun (Oxford English Dictionary). In the
context of the poem, this definition can be used to infer that the speaker intends to illustrate the
love of others as lesser than his own. Like the comparison of the Sun to the Earth in the original
usage of the word, the speaker’s love is grand and full of light, while the love of others is “dull”
and miniscule in contrast. This concept of superiority relates to the theme of eternal love within
the poem because it implies that the love between the speaker and his companion is not normal
or commonplace. In fact, it is a distinguished, remarkable love which puts the love of others to
shame. As such, this definition of the word “sublunary” serves to demonstrate that the speaker’s
love is superior to that of others, therefore contributing to the theme of eternal love within the
poem.
Another definition describes the word “sublunary” is “a person of minor importance”
(Oxford English Dictionary). Within this context, it would seem that the speaker of the poem is
attempting to demonstrate the inconsequential nature of the love of others. Because it is of
“minor importance,” it does not matter to anyone other than the people who share it. The love
between the speaker and his companion would then be considered of increased importance in
comparison, and is placed upon a metaphorical pedestal. This comparison seems to imply that
the speaker enjoys an “epic” love, one that is significant not only to the couple who shares it but
to the world as well. This word choice effectively serves to raise the speaker’s love to a level
above that of others and reiterate that it is special and incomparable. In doing so, the speaker
once again articulates that his love is set apart from the love of others, but this time not
McIntyre 3
necessarily in quality but in significance. Here, the theme of eternal love reemerges again, as this
“epic” quality of the speaker’s love implies its enduring nature.
The word can also be defined as “of, in, or belonging to this world; earthly, terrestrial”
(Oxford English Dictionary). When viewing this specific passage of the poem through the lens
of this definition, it appears that the speaker is attempting to depict the love of others as
something physical rather than emotional. The word “earthly” within the definition implies that,
in contrast, the speaker’s love comes from a more heavenly or ethereal place. The rest of this
passage is also important to consider, as it states that other lovers “. . . cannot admit / Absence,
because it doth remove / Those things which elemented it” (Donne 1386). Here the speaker
suggests that other lovers cannot be apart because their love is based on physical togetherness.
This is supported by another definition from the Oxford English Dictionary which describes the
word as “characteristic of this world and its concerns; mundane; material; temporal, ephemeral.”
Within this definition, the word “temporal” emphasizes the fact that the love of others, like
physical beauty, is fleeting; it is inevitable that one day this love will no longer exist. The love
between the speaker and his companion would then be considered as the opposite – an
everlasting love.
This concept can be related back to the previously stated definition and the concept of
“earthliness,” or perhaps even “earthly pleasures.” In contrast, the speaker and his love are able
to be apart because they are connected not by their bodies but by a more heavenly source: their
souls. This idea also provides a connection to the concept of Neo-Platonist or “soul love,” which
is seen throughout other passages of the poem as well. At one point, the speaker refers to himself
and his lover as “two souls which are one,” then using the metaphor of a compass to demonstrate
that they are always connected no matter how much physical distance separates them. With this
McIntyre 4
concept in mind, this particular definition of the word “sublunary” seems to imply that other
lovers do not possess or are perhaps even incapable of the “soul love” that the speaker enjoys. As
a result, the love between the speaker and his companion is once again elevated to a position
above the love of others. Thus, this definition of the word “sublunary” contributes to the theme
of eternal love within the poem by demonstrating that the love of others is “earthly” and physical
while the speaker’s love is heavenly, Neo-Platonist soul love.
From this examination of the word “sublunary” within John Donne’s poem “A
Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” it becomes clear that exploring the definitions and usages of
certain words can shed light on the author’s themes and motifs. In the case of this particular
poem, each separate definition demonstrates a different perspective on or aspect of the theme of
eternal love. In some instances the definition may imply that this love is superior to or of greater
importance than the love of others, while in other cases it defines this love as a more profound
type of love in general. In studying each meaning of the word, these different perspectives are
revealed, and as such the reader is given a more complete picture of the themes that the author
attempts to convey. For this reason, it is essential to consider the meanings behind words
whenever explicating any piece of poetry.