The Good-Morrow by John Donne

JOHN DONNE

The Good-Morrow

Thou hast made me, and shall thy work decay?
Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste,
I run to death, and death meets me as fast,
And all my pleasures are like yesterday;
I dare not move my dim eyes any way,
Despair behind, and death before doth cast
Such terror, and my feebled flesh doth waste
By sin in it, which it towards hell doth weigh.
Only thou art above, and when towards thee
By thy leave I can look, I rise again;
But our old subtle foe so tempteth me,
That not one hour I can myself sustain;
Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art,
And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart.

the poem is taken from: :Click

Summary:The speaker begins the poem by asking his beloved what they did before falling in love, hinting that their past lives were pointless and insignificant. He compares their previous encounters to a dream or a juvenile condition in which they were content with basic pleasures but unaware of true love. He goes on to add that they have now awakened to a new reality in which they are fully aware of one other and their mutual love.

The speaker then praises their love as something unusual and valuable that transcends the physical and the worldly. He describes their relationship using analogies from exploration, religion, and alchemy, implying that they have discovered a new world in one other, that they are like saints or angels who worship each other, and that they have attained perfect harmony and balance of their souls. He contrasts their love with the fake and ephemeral love of others, who are either fooled by appearances or bound by lust.

The speaker then asks his beloved, rhetorically, if they would ever die or get old, meaning that their love is timeless and perfect. He claims that they have all they need as long as they are together and that nothing can harm them. He further claims that their love is so strong that it can transform one small room into an entire universe, implying that they can discover unlimited delight and amazement in their shared area.

The poem has a sonnet-like structure, with three stanzas of seven lines each and an ABABCCC rhyme scheme. It is written in iambic pentameter, which means that each line is ten syllables long and contains alternating stresses. Alliteration, assonance, consonance, imagery, personification, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, paradox, and apostrophe are also used in the poem.

    1.After a life of pointless and uninformed pleasures, the speaker and his beloved awaken to a new reality of true and mutual love.

    2.Their love is compared to adventure, religion, and alchemy since it transcends the physical and the worldly.

    3.Their love stands in stark contrast to the fake and fading love of others, who are either duped by looks or imprisoned by lust.

    4.Their love is exquisite and timeless, and they wonder if they will ever die or grow old.

    5.Their love is strong and sufficient, and in their shared space, they can find boundless delight and surprise.