The Canonization - Commentary

Donne incorporates a sense of irony between the first stanza and the rest of the poem with his religious references. Throughout the first stanza, there is a constant reference to money and politics made. However, Donne also includes the Catholic Church in this mix in the sixth line where he says ‘Observe his Honor or His Grace’ with ‘his grace’ referring to a Bishop. However, in the rest of the poem Donne has the character using words with religious connotations such as ‘hymn, canonized, reverend and hermitage’ when talking about love. This implies that the speaker believes that love is spiritual, while making a distinct separation between spirituality and the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is incorporated with wealth, and politics and thus corruption, while spirituality by itself is something holier.

The stanza is 9 lines long which is consistent throughout the entire poem, which divide it into five parts. Although each stanza is quite long, Donne is able to unify each stanza through his rhythmic pattern. Donne rhymes words at the beginning of the stanza with words at the end of the stanza, which creates unity throughout the stanza as all of his ideas are unified through his rhythmic structure.  Unity is also created between 2 ideas in one line as Donne uses one word to bring together two different ideas such as the line ‘with wealth your state, your mind with arts improve’ with the word improve being the word that combines the two words. Donne uses this technique throughout the rest of the poem as well. He is also able to bring unity in message that love is superior above all else, by having the word love as the last word in the first and last line of each stanza, therefore ‘surrounding’ the poem with love.

Man speaking to people, and therefore a dramatic monologue where he addresses outsiders trying to defend his choice of love from upper class society who disapprove of the woman he chooses to love. However, the man is relentless in love for the woman, regardless of what others think, and asks to be criticized for any of his other faults such as his old age or lost wealth. He simply wants to love the woman of his choice in peace

As first stanza of poem, has significant importance, introducing reader to poem. Wastes no time in presenting plot of the poem, as first line is ‘For God’s sake..’ line significant as reader automatically understands the character wants others to leave him alone and let him love who he chooses to. First line requires a lot of emphasis and is often stressed and forceful, creating dramatic opening to poem. Many poems introduced calmly through first line, Donne does opposite by introducing poem through angry and dramatically toned line, in effect allowing reader to immediately understand character’s anger towards world. Line sets up rest of poem for speaker to express his feelings towards those who interfere with his personal life. Author uses this technique throughout first stanza to express character’s irritation and annoyance towards world by using words with rough, hard sounds that need to be stressed and forcefully spoken ‘for god’s sake, chide my palsy, ruined fortune’ as sounds and words are associated with negative connotations

Throughout the first passage, Donne’s character asks that society find other things to occupy themselves with such as their wealth, the arts, politics or religion. This is seen in the lines ‘with wealth your state…’ gives the reader impression it is only the upper class society who has a problem with the character’s choice of love because during time period in which poem was written in, only the upper class were associated with wealth and politics. Implies that the character may have once been a part of the upper class society, but has now been removed, as it is likely upper class wouldn’t have associated with the life of a person from a lower class. Thought is confirmed by the line ‘or ruined fortune flout’ which indicates he has lost the fortune he used to have. Therefore, reader is able to conclude that the character is indicating that his love for the woman is more important than any amount of wealth or status he had before. The reader is also able to grasp that the character must really love the woman to be able to sacrifice his life in the upper class for her. Donne therefore defends love against the corrupting values of politics and the privileged by telling the reader that love is above all material possessions and status in society. Donne incorporates metaphors throughout the first stanza to bring across his message to the reader. Instead of directly stating that society could preoccupy themselves with politics and money, he represents them through metaphors such as in line ‘Or the King’s real, or his stamped face.’ The King’s real is a metaphor for getting favors from the royal family, while ‘stamped face’ indicates money as the King’s face is put on coins. The line ‘my five grey hairs’ is Donne’s way of indirectly expressing the character’s older age.

Sense of irony incorporated between the first stanza and the rest of the poem with Donne’s religious references. In first stanza, there is a reference to money and politics and Catholic Church made together. Sixth line where he says ‘Observe his Honor or His Grace’ with ‘his grace’ referring to a Bishop. However, in the rest of the poem Donne has the character using words with religious connotations such as ‘hymn, canonized, reverend and hermitage’ when talking about love. This implies that the speaker believes that love is spiritual, while making a distinct separation between spirituality and the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is incorporated with wealth, and politics and thus corruption, while spirituality by itself is something holier and purer such as love

The stanza is 9 lines long which is consistent throughout the entire poem, which divide it into five parts. Although each stanza is quite long, Donne is able to unify each stanza through his rhythmic pattern. Donne rhymes words at the beginning of the stanza with words at the end of the stanza, which creates unity throughout the stanza as all of his ideas are unified through his rhythmic structure.  Unity is also created between 2 ideas in one line as Donne uses one word to bring together two different ideas such as the line ‘with wealth your state, your mind with arts improve’ with the word improve being the word that combines the two words. Donne uses this technique throughout the rest of the poem as well. He is also able to bring unity in message that love is superior above all else, by having the word love as the last word in the first and last line of each stanza, therefore ‘surrounding’ the poem with love.