sunrises. But in
“The Canonization,” Donne shows love in a completely new way. In this poem, the speaker is an aged lover. He says his love is pure, spiritual, and holy. He says that their pure love will make them “saints of love.” They will be canonized (made saints) because of their pure love. As he says:
“…All shall approve
Us canonized for Love.”
Here, Donne shows love as a holy thing, like religion. This idea is very new. Donne does not praise beauty; he praises the spiritual power of love. This spiritual view of love was unique in Donne’s time.
Dramatic Style, Logical Arguments, and Wit: Donne also brings novelty in love poetry through his dramatic style, logical arguments, and wit. “The Canonization” begins with this line:
“For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love.”
This opening is dramatic. Here, the aged speaker is talking directly to someone who is criticizing him for loving. This argumentative tone is unusual in love poems. The speaker argues that his love harms no one. His sighs do not drown ships, his tears do not flood fields, and his passion does not cause diseases. He asks—
“What merchant’s ships have my sighs drowned?”
Nothing is harmed because of his deep love. So, people should mind their own business and let him love. This is wit, because these arguments are clever and funny. This use of logic and wit was completely new in love poetry.
Use of Conceit: Donne’s most famous contribution is his use of conceits. A conceit is a strange and far-fetched comparison between two very different things. For example, Donne compares the lovers to saints. The speaker believes that their pure love will make them “saints of love.” People would pray to them and ask a model of their true love to follow.
In the third stanza, the lovers are compared to “Phoenix.” Phoenix is a mythical bird that dies and rises again from its own ashes. He says he and his loved are like the phoenix.
“The phoenix…
…We two being one, are it.”
This comparison means that even if the lovers die, their love cannot. Their love is eternal. Before Donne, no other poet compared love to such surprising images. These bold comparisons give Donne’s poetry a fresh and modern style.
Blend of Passion and Thought: The blend of passion and thought was a new quality Donne used in his love poem. In “The Canonization,” Donne’s speaker argues that, even if their love story is not written in history books, their love story will live through sonnets and poems. He says:
“We’ll build in sonnets pretty rooms.”
This argument is clever and thoughtful, but it also comes from a deep passion for love.
Clearly, Donne breaks away from traditional love poetry in “The Canonization.” He does not talk about physical beauty or sweet emotions. Instead, he presents love as spiritual, powerful, clever, and holy. He uses dramatic arguments, strong wit, and surprising comparisons. For these reasons, Donne is truly an unconventional love poet.
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