ight: 400;">He tells the sun to go away and stop disturbing him and his lover. Because they are enjoying their moment early in the morning in their bedroom. This is very unique. Most poets praise the beauty of sunrise, but Donne scolds it. He does this to express how much he loves being with her. He says that lovers can enjoy their time whenever they want. They do not have to follow the sun or maintain a routine. He writes:

“Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime”

This means things like seasons, climate, hours, days, and months are not important in love. True love is timeless, and it does not care about time or season.

Moreover, Donne says that he and his beloved are everything to each other. Her presence is more important than all the wealth in the world. So, their bedroom becomes the whole world. He writes:

“She’s all states, and all princes, I,

Nothing else is.”

This means his lover is like all the countries, and he is like all the princes. They do not need anything else but each other. They feel complete in themselves. Here, Donne uses clever arguments to express his deep love, which was quite new in his time.

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning: In this poem, Donne is going on a short trip and saying goodbye to his beloved. He says they should not cry or show sadness. Because their love is spiritual, not based only on the body. So, physical distance cannot break their love. Here, Donne uses a compass metaphor to explain their bond. He says their souls are like two feet of a drawing compass. One foot stays in the center, and the other moves in a circle. Still, they are always connected.

“Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show

To move, but doth, if the other do.”

This is a very new and clever way to show love. No other poet used such a scientific image in love poetry before.

The Canonization: In this poem, the speaker is an aged lover. He says his love is not harmful to anyone. His love does not sink ships, destroy farms, or spread diseases. So, people should not disturb or insult this aged lover. He says their love is so deep and powerful that they will become saints of love after death. Poetry will make their love immortal. They will be saints of love, and people will remember them for their deep love. As he says,

“And by these hymns, all shall approve

Us canonized for Love.”

This is a very surprising and new idea for a love poem. Donne says that love is a holy thing and the lovers are saints, not of religion but of love.

In short, these features bring novelty to Donne’s love poems:

• Clever and surprising ideas to express deep love.
• Blend of thoughts and feelings.
• Use of conceits like comparing the lovers to two feet of a drawing compass, and
• Wit and arguments.

In fine, John Donne changed love poetry completely. He made it clever, surprising, argumentative, and full of deep feelings. He used strange and striking comparisons. That is why Donne’s love poems are very new and modern, even today.