First Thoughts on TLC

I thought this was a fascinating play. These are a few of the formal elements that stood out to me throughout the course of the play:

Tone:

• The tone supports the words that each of the characters speak. 
• Vivian knows herself to be highly respectable professional and prides herself on her well-earned reputation of being very strict but also successful and intelligent. She uses stiff and highly intellectual words whenever she can. 
• Jason is also very professional but flippant and apathetic when speaking about the needs of others. 
• Susie uses many affectionate terms and has a careful but open tone.

Language:

• Vivian uses elegant, elaborate vocabulary to express herself, and takes words very seriously. They are important enough for her to research, memorize, and understand the medical terms that she must hear so often. 
• She builds these walls of words around herself to make herself feel comfortable and important, but ultimately, words can't save her. During some of her most vulnerable moments, she can't seem to find words at all. 
• She comes to realize that the words aren't enough to make her feel loved, and although she never loses her love for literature and beautiful language, she does turn more and more towards human kindness and love.

Characters:

• The characters seem to relate to each other--Jason and Susie represent Vivian at different points of the play.
• Jason is so engrossed in his work that he is self-absorbed.
• Susie is compassionate and cares for the needs of others without pride.
• Vivian had slipped into an obsession with words and had forgotten how to love others, but as the play progresses, we see her becoming more sensitive to her own emotions.

Fast Formal Analysis Outline

1. Genre An example of metaphysical poetry. It used the juxtaposition of ideas that are seemingly unrelated. In this case it astronomy and a compass to describe their love.

2. Narrator/Persona
 A man who is leaving his lover, reassuring her that their love is stronger than their separation.

"There Is No Try"

Where I Begunne!

1. Genre
This is a lyrical sonnet, presented in rhyming, parallel stanzas. It depicts the speaker's words or thoughts as directed to a close friend or lover, using metaphor and simile to convey a message of comfort amidst loss and parting. "Such wilt thou be to me, who must Like th'other foot obliquely run;"
2. Speaker/Narrator
The speaker can be assumed to be John Donne, though the specific identity isn't as important as their relationship to the audience and their state of being, those being a very close friend or lover and close to death or other parting, respectively: "But we by a love, so much refin'd. That our selves know not what it is,"
3. Setting
The setting of this poem is not clear because it is not indicated in any way. It might possibly be presumed to be the speaker's deathbed, but might just as easily be at a writing desk in a ship's cabin many miles away from the audience.
4. Diction
This poem is notable for its prosaic metaphors, similes, and adjectives. Even though the metaphors, from "Moving of th'earth" to the continuing simile of two feet, are described with terms of grandness and scale, the diction of the poem as a whole feels wistful, almost sleepy. "So let us melt, and make no noise,"
5. Character
There are two characters involved in this poem, though not ever described: the speaker and the audience, both single people. Similes like "two feet" and words like "twin" strongly imply that the two characters are very close, a pair of some sort, likely lovers. The speaker, soon to be parted from the audience by death or something else, is urging or wishing for the audience not to mourn his loss. "Though I must goe, endure not yet A breach, but an expansion,"
6. Audience
As with the sonnet addressed to death, the speaker's message is delivered with support and examples, almost like an argument, so it strongly feels like an argument meant to convince the audience to his position. In this case, convincing the audience not to mourn his loss but to look forward to the next meeting, implying the audience currently feels otherwise, being depressed at the oncoming parting. "No teare-floods, nor sigh-tempests move,"
7. Tone
Through language like "melt" and "Dull sublunary" and abundant commas, inverted phrases and short lists, the poem feels restful and almost floats along, while numerous imperative phrases, both to the audience and in similes, reinforce the persuasive tone. "Care lesse, eyes, lips, and hands to misse."
8. Metaphor
The points of the speaker's "argument" are presented mostly through simile and metaphor, such as comparing the perceived greatness and actual impact of great events ("Moving of th'earth") with those of humanly worries and fears ("trepidation of the spheares"), and especially comparing the two characters to a pair of feet, where one foot leaves while the other stays planted, then moves to rejoin its companion.
9. Visual Design
As a sonnet, the poem is divided into nine stanzas of four lines each, rhyming loosely in an ABAB pattern by line. Each stanza generally consists of two contrasting or complementing ideas that together form a standalone point in the larger argument, and the ideas can be divided in several different ways within the stanza.
10. Plot
While the poem doesn't describe a sequence of events, it does continue from one theme to another: it starts by discussing opinions and fears shared by all of humanity related to death, then transitions to a description of the speaker's relationship with the audience and how the two ideas relate, ending on a sweet farewell. "Thy firmness drawes my circle just, And makes me end, where I begunne."

Frogs and Wheelbarrows

So confession time... I love poetry. I love reading it, I love writing it, and I especially love to take it apart. Not the way you would dissect a frog, mind you. There is a good chance that if you make one wrong move, the whole project is ruined and there goes a perfectly good dead frog. But a poem? You don't have to kill the poem before you take a peak inside. You don't have to worry about "messing up," because a poem can be interpreted in more than one way. A frog is a frog, and there isn't any hidden symbolism tucked behind the left ventricle.

A (Preliminary) Formal Analysis: Forbidding Mourning

Preliminary Formal Analysis of John Donne's (A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning)

1. Genre - Considering the rather personal nature of the lines and stanzas in this poem, its genre is a lyrical poem, one which focuses on the speaker's own emotions, feelings, inner thoughts, etc. The line that most indicates this reading is the final stanza, which reads:
"Such wilt thou be to mee, who must
Like the other foot, obliquely runne
Thy firmnes drawes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begunne."

2. Speaker/Narrator - The narrator in this piece does not necessarily have to be Donne himself; he could be portraying the general emotional state of any lover at their lovers' parting. The ambiguity of the narrator is what makes this poem more universal in its meaning and message. "So let us melt, and make no noise..."

3. Setting - The setting is quite ambiguous, allowing any and all people who know the pain of lost love, regardless of what environment or country they live in, to understand Donne's message and relate to it.

4. Structure - The poem is structured in stanzas of four lines each, with the rhyme scheme being consistently ABAB through each and every stanza, which gives a feeling of solidarity and consistency to the speaker's thoughts.

5. Character - Much like the analysis of the speaker, the characters portrayed in this poem are two lovers at the moment of their parting. They haven't quite stopped loving each other, as evidenced by the line "But we by a love, so much refin'd // That our selves know not what it is."

6. Audience - As with the setting, the audience is never strictly defined, but from the almost universally relatable nature of the poem, one can assume that the audience could be anyone and everyone who knows the pain of parting from a lover.

7. Tone - The title proclaims the piece to be on the subject of mourning, and the lines of the poem themselves emphasize this theme. Some lines that sound mournful and melancholy are:
"Dull sublunary lovers love
(Whose soul is sense) cannot admit
Absence, because it doth remove
Those things which elemented it."

8. Metaphor - The theme of death and mourning is a metaphor in the case of this poem, as the first line states "As virtuous men pass mildly away," but Donne uses death as a comparison for the death of love described in the rest of the stanzas.

9. Thesis - It's unclear whether a poem can truly have a thesis or not, but in this case the thesis could be said to be either the meaning of the poem as a whole or the main point. The final two lines are where one can find this point the best, where it says "Thy firmnes drawes my circle just // And makes me end where I begunne." The point in these lines is that losing love only makes him go backwards, not moving forward like he should be.

10. Plot - As with the thesis, poetry does not necessarily have a plot to it, which is the case with this poem. Instead of a plot, the poem takes a sort of snapshot of the speaker's reality: the moment of his and his lover's parting. The thoughts at this exact point make the moment more real to the audience.

We're Not Done Here

A Preliminary Formal Analysis of John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"

1.       Genre. This is a poem of the lyric genre, and therefore shows the emotions and affections of an individual speaker, much like a song. The focus remains on the speaker’s thoughts for the duration of the poem, and is very personally emotional:

      Such wilt thou be to me, who must

      Like th’other foot, obliquely runne;

      Thy firmness drawes my circle just,

      And makes me end, where I begunne.

Long- Distance Relationship To-Be

This is the "preliminary formal analysis" of John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." 

Genre: This has characteristics of a metaphysical poem.  Firstly, it is a poem about love. There are also unusual or obscure metaphors, such as the comparison of their love with the movement of two compasses. He explains that because they are in love, they both “[make] no show/ To move, but doth, if the’other doe.” It is a sonnet, with 36 lines broken into four-line stanzas written in an ABAB pattern.

Narrator: A man, assumingly John Donne, leaving his love as he goes on a trip. He cares deeply for this woman and softly proclaims their love to be “so much refin’d” and not limited by physical distance.

Setting: The setting of the sonnet is ambiguous; what we do know is that the two lovers will be in different places—“moving of th’ earth” – very soon (since this is a poem for a moment of parting). If we assume that the narrator is John Donne, then the author’s setting is most likely late 16^th- early 17^th century England.

Characters: There are two characters in the poem. One is the narrator, who is leaving on a trip. He seems to be a man of conviction who is very much in love. He gently discloses to his lover with a certain amount of pride that their love goes beyond a “dull sublunary” love so that they are “two soules…which are one,” even when they are separated by distance. Readers can assume that this woman returns the speaker’s love and “hearkens after [him].” They both seem young and clearly devoted to each other.

Plot: There is no immediate plot during this poem. It gives the sense of being on the edge of an event, perhaps an event about to begin, which is the man’s trip away from his love. There is more focus on the emotion of the scene, with the narrator comforting his love to not “sigh-tempests move” as he travels away, but to be assured that he will return “where I begunne.”

Diction: Donne uses figurative language to paint a picture of the relationship shown in the piece. There are many metaphors, such as their love being  “like gold”—most spread out but still precious and beautiful—and their souls being like compasses, always pointing in the same direction. He even starts the work with the imagery of “virtuous men [passing] mildly away” to assure his love that she should not fear, but should be happy and have hope in a bright future together.

Tone: Generally, the piece is tender and reassuring. The tone shows a quiet but complete confidence in his (the narrator’s) relationship. He is familiar and affectionate with his lover, with whom he shares a love he describes as “much refin’d.”

Rhetoric: The narrator is using a primarily persuasive tone. It is gentle but encouraging as the speaker tries to convince his lover that they truly are meant to be, and that this distance will never hinder their love. He wants this for her, so she will not weep "teare-floods" as his absence, and also for himself and his piece of mind as he is away and upon his return.

Visual Design: Again, the poem is split into nine four-line stanzas. The ABAB pattern is laid out in the format. Each stanza is also separated to make the piece more reader-friendly.

Textual Awareness: There are no direct references to other poems or pieces of literature. There are certainly comparisons made, but nothing to connect this piece directly to another work.

...Well, I tried!

Preliminary Formal Analysis AKA Reading a Poem 500 Times

    Although daunting, this is excellent practice for the literary criticisms to come. These observations about form from the close reading of John Donne's "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" will aid immensely in setting the framework for a literary critique. Here are the ten observations I listed:

1. Genre/Subgenre. This is a rhymed poem with nine stanzas. It may be considered a lyrical poem due to its emotional nature, rhyming, and general musicality. The musicality is evident in the line, "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."
2. Narrator/Persona. Based on history, we can assume that the narrator of this poem was John Donne. When he wrote this poem, he was leaving to go to Europe, leaving his wife behind in England. He wrote this for her before he left, making his persona and voice far more personal and touching, as shown in the last two lines of the poem: "Thy firmness makes my circle just, / and makes me end where I begun."

Slightly Unstable

A whiteboard or DaVinci notebook. They are the same to me.

While reading A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, my hand flew across the whiteboard, filling every open space with different colored EXPO markers trying to write down every bit of analysis of the poem that I could find. After reading it once, I fell in love with Donne's writing, the imagery, the theme, and after analyzing it, I was sold. I guess you could say, my notes on first glance looked like a blur of colors and the thought process of the mentally unstable. But that's just the way that I think..

1. Genre: This poem followed the ABAB rhyme scheme and was separated into nine quatrains. As a ballad it contained a music like element and therefore was plot driven. The abstraction of love was used to tell the story of a couple whose love would last, and even if they became separated, the two lovers would always find their way back.
2. Narrator/Persona: In this poem Donne is speaking to his, at the time, pregnant wife Anne. He is telling her his biased point of view that because of their refined love that she should not worry about it falling apart while he goes away to travel the Continental Europe.
3. Setting: Historically this was written to Anne before Donne left to travel the continental Europe, so one can assume that sometime in Britain in the early 1600's this poem took place. If the reader though, takes a step back from Donne's life, the poem can be placed in more than one setting. While reading I could just see two lovers at a train station where the husband is leaving for war and the wife watching the train long after it had left, or the husband telling his wife his last goodbyes on his deathbed as she weeps about the uncertainty of the eternities. While these could all be possibilities, there is not one setting in which Donne places the poem.
4. Tone: Donne's tone throughout the poem is one filled with raw emotion. His words are loving and soothing. Although it is a sore subject for the woman he is leaving behind, he displays his confidence in the words he says and shows that he is firm in his belief that their love will last forever.
5. Character: As previously stated, one can assume that the characters are Donne and his wife Anne, but with another look the lovers in the play can represent many other characters. Those being like the husband leaving for the military or on his death bed as previously described in the setting section.
6. Symbolism: One of the most beautiful aspects of this poem is Donne's symbolism of the compass. During the 1600's the compass was not only meant as a device to guide individuals but also meant eternal perfection. Donne uses it to describe to his wife, that not only is she the center of his world- his everything- but also that no matter what happens he will always come back to her. As the circle is never ending, so is their love.
7. Style: Donne's style can be used in many ways. Some words that first came to mind were: beautiful, lyrical, and articulate. Beautiful because there is something so pure about the love he expresses. Lyrical because of the rhythm throughout and the way the words portray his love. And finally articulate because he knew what he meant and there was no way to confuse his feelings.
8. Historical Background: In order to fully understand the thoughts and worries of the lover Donne is feeling the reader must look at what was going on throughout the 1600's. This time period not only had the plague and deaths upon the young, but was also a time of exploration and scientific revolution. Donne and many other individuals were full participants of this era and living up the exploration that came with it. So many things though could go wrong, especially with mortality rates so high, and so it only makes sense that the lover is concerned when he leaves. This increase in exploration also further explains Donne's use of the compass, as a symbol of the era and his love.
9. Audience: Donne's intended audience was his wife, the woman he wanted to proclaim his never ending love and reassurance. Although now days, this poem's audience ranges from hopeless romantics who can't help but be love sick, to English majors who are required to read it for their class and analyze it.
10. Persuasion: Throughout the poem, Donne is trying to and is pretty successful in his persuasion to his lover that his leaving is not the end but rather just another moment that will bring them back together again. He uses pathos as a key strategy, because it is his emotions, his thoughts and feelings that will keep them together, or bring them back together in the end.

So I hope that no one was too bored reading my analysis, and that some of it made sense! I'm a little new to this whole Donne world haha but I really enjoyed looking a little deeper into the why behind the beautiful poem.

And yes that is a picture of my whiteboard of notes that I took today.

Let's Give It a Shot!

Here's a first attempt at literary analysis of John Donne's poem Valediction: A Forbidding Mourning.  Coming up with all the aspects of the analysis was difficult, but I'm glad that we'd gone over a few of them in class.  I did, however, have some difficulty finding quotes from the poem for some points.

1.       Genre

        This is a 36-line poem broken into nine stanzas with an ABAB rhyme scheme.  This is an abstract poem, since it describes love, which can't be seen.  However, Donne uses various rhetorical tools and concrete images, like "stiff twin compasses" or "gold beat to airy thinness" to help readers understand the depth of his feeling.

2.       Narrator

         The narrator of this poem can be assumed as Donne.  He wrote it to his wife, Anne, before leaving on a long trip as a way to comfort her.  Donne is very tender in these lines, as opposed to his saucier poems like The Flea; especially when he refers to their separation as “not yet a breach, but an expansion.”