Analysis of Love's Deity
John Donne 1572 (London) – 1631 (London)
I long to talk with some old lover's ghost,
Who died before the god of love was born.
I cannot think that he, who then lov'd most,
Sunk so low as to love one which did scorn.
But since this god produc'd a destiny,
And that vice-nature, custom, lets it be,
I must love her, that loves not me.
Sure, they which made him god, meant not so much,
Nor he in his young godhead practis'd it.
But when an even flame two hearts did touch,
His office was indulgently to fit
Actives to passives. Correspondency
Only his subject was; it cannot be
Love, till I love her, that loves me.
But every modern god will now extend
His vast prerogative as far as Jove.
To rage, to lust, to write to, to commend,
All is the purlieu of the god of love.
O! were we waken'd by this tyranny
To ungod this child again, it could not be
I should love her, who loves not me.
Rebel and atheist too, why murmur I,
As though I felt the worst that love could do?
Love might make me leave loving, or might try
A deeper plague, to make her love me too;
Which, since she loves before, I'am loth to see.
Falsehood is worse than hate; and that must be,
If she whom I love, should love me.
Scheme | ABABCCC DEDEXCC FGFGCCC HIHICCC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111111101 1101011111 1101111111 1111111111 1111010100 0111010111 11101111 1111111111 11011111 1111011111 1101111 10111 1010111101 11110111 11001011101 1101001111 1111111101 110110111 101111100 1111011111 11101111 10010011101 1111011111 1111110111 0101110111 11110111111 111110111 11111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,128 |
Words | 230 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 7, 7, 7, 7 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 31 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 217 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 57 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 10, 2023
- 1:10 min read
- 134 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Love's Deity" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22549/love%27s-deity>.
Discuss this John Donne poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In