The Broken Heart a Poem by John Donne

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Recommended: Poetic devices and figurative language

Being a human being comes with several feelings and experiences that shape who we are, some favourable and beneficial some shattering and distressing, one of the most common is that of love, Love is the single most celebrated human emotion, though nevertheless love can end in heartbreak. A broken heart can be considered a painful empty feeling or the writhing of the soul. The Urban Dictionary defines a broken heart as ‘the feeling of complete devastation, and extreme sadness after a break-up of a relationship or loss of a spouse/relative.’ Throughout history, a vast body of literature examines its influences and explores its meanings. Typically, poets and authors examine love's countless virtues. Numerous poets have commented on the nature of love, each poet using their own style to convey their outlook on love. In "The Broken Heart," via John Donne’s outstanding poetry skills Donne reveals his view of love as a powerful, consuming, and cruel force via many language, features. Good morning/afternoon and welcome to the Poetry matters forum, today I will be presenting my seminar on John Donne’s Seventeenth century Sonnet, The Broken Heart. This poem has universal appeal to many people speculating the same thoughts or questions. In my seminar today I will allow analyse you to appreciate the value of poetry and enter Donne’s mind as he expresses his thoughts on the supremacy and prominence of love and heartbreak.
Donne is valuable not simply as a representative writer but also as a highly unique one. He was a man of contradictions: As a minister in the Anglican Church, Donne possessed a deep spirituality that pairs his thoughts and feelings throughout his lifetime. Donne also possessed a sensual outlook on life, sensation, and experi...

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...and the process of being broken hearted has led him to envision Love as a living thing; a human, that can and will hurt all who are vulnerable. Throughout the poem Donne uses a multitude of imagery to reveal the Donne’s attitude toward Love. Donne does not speak friendly of the emotion and uses successful literary devices to render his beliefs.
LANGUAGE The Broken Heart is constructed of effective language devices that greatly increase the power of Donne's messages in the poem. Donne also uses various literary devices such as metaphors, similes, hyperbole and personification to disclose his bitter attitude toward the nature of love and show the significance and importance of the theme. John Donne uses very successfully chosen vocabulary in this sonnet to create a specific attitude in the reader, particularly through the use of the reference of his chosen words.

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