Question

In A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, what does the poet compare the spiritual bond between the lovers to?:

• A. Compass that always points north
• B. A pair of twin flames
• C. A twin-compass, where one leg moves and the other stays rooted
• D. A pendulum swinging in harmony

Answer 1

Answer:

C. A twin-compass, where one leg moves and the other stays rooted

Understanding John Donne's 'A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning'

• The poem 'A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning' is one of John Donne's most celebrated works, written in 1611, presumably for his wife, Anne More, before he embarked on a journey to France.

• It is a quintessential example of Metaphysical Poetry, a style characterized by intellectual complexity, witty conceits, paradoxes, and exploration of profound themes like love, death, and spirituality.

• Donne urges his beloved not to mourn their temporary physical separation, arguing that their love is so spiritual and refined that it transcends physical distance.