John Donne

Metaphysical poetry transcends the physical stature of human nature into a bold world of mental connections. As Percy Bysshe Shelley once described poetry, "Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted", metaphysical poetry must take what is ordinary and physical and make it something beautiful and concise. The writer of metaphysical poetry must account for the reader's lack of understanding by using clear and terse images, conceits, and arguments to prove his or her point. One such author of metaphysical poetry is John Donne. John Donne is a Renaissance artist who uses imagery and arguments to cast his point across the reader's mind.
John Donne gives examples of his metaphysical poetic style in the poem A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning. Donne uses several examples of images, conceits, and arguments to support the overall theme of the poem as well as his moral beliefs as a human being. A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning is about two lovers whom are soon to be separated for an extensive period of time. In this poem Donne describes the long separation as something no to be viewed as upsetting, but rather something that should be viewed as a testament of love. Donne achieves this theme by describing the separation using images.

So let us melt and make no noise,
No tear-floods nor sigh-tempests move;
Twere profanation of our joys
To tell laity our love. (5-8)

Tear-floods and sigh-tempests, or storms, shall be shed in the departure of these two lovers. Donne's use of storms as images suggest that his moral beliefs contain that of an enduring relationship that can stand the test of time and the test of a long separation.
In order for a reader to correctly understand the themes that Donne set out to achieve comparisons must be made. Donne achieves these comparisons using metaphysical
comparisons known as conceits.

Our two souls, therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to airy thinness beat (21-24)

In this passage Donne compares the connection of the two lover's souls with that of gold leaf, thin pieces of gold beaten down from thicker pieces of gold. This comparison describes to the reader the potential growth and expansion potential of the lovers' relationship. The lovers' relationship will not fall easily, it will continue to grow and prosper in authenticity despite the long journey of one of its members. The conceit further unveils Donne's belief in an everlasting relationship. Donne describes his own favor to love in the quote, "I am two fools, I know, for loving, and for saying so in whining poetry."
Donne uses logic and reason to try and influence the reader's ideas and actions by using arguments. Arguments help reader's to develop and understand themes of poetry.

If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two:
Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show
To move, but doth if the other do. (Lines 25-28)

Donne uses the image of a two legged compass to describe the relationship of the two lovers. As well as using imagery in this excerpt Donne uses an argument to influence the reader's opinion of the relationship of the two persons in love. An argument uses logic and reason to influence the reader; moreover, Donne uses the compass to prove his point. The soul is the fixed foot of the compass which the other foot revolves around to make a perfect circle. The fixed foot represents the lover who is staying still as the other lover makes a long journey, in effect, creating a circle of perfection representing the feelings the two lovers feel for each other.

It is commonly believed for one to be something, or be with something, one must always remain physically close to that someone or something; however, as Billy Corgan once said, "I was brought up Roman Catholic. I'm not even baptized." One may be close to something without physically existing with that specific thing. Donne realized that one did not have to be physically close to another person to feel a very deep compassion for them; moreover, Donne passed his belief onto future generations with his example of a compass in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.

Metaphysical poetry is often difficult for the common reader to comprehend, analyze, and understand. The use of literary devices to help with the understanding of metaphysical poetry was commonplace in the Renaissance. John Donne, being a Renaissance artist, used literary devices such as imagery, arguments, and conceits to prove the points and themes he set out to achieve. However Donne took the use of the literary elements a step farther, Donne used these elements to express his own feelings and beliefs in his poetry.