love

Love has no definite meaning and everyone defines love a bit differently. Poets who write about love also explores the definition in a different manner. From John Donne to Christopher Marlowe to William Shakespeare, they all provide different interpretations.

In “The Sun Rising,” John Donne writes about an eternal love; however it contrasts his other poems about love. After making love, Donne and his lover and enjoying their sleep in the bed. The “unruly Sun,” (Donne, l. 1) however is disturbing their peace. In this poem, all that matters is that they are together and lying on the bed. They do not want to sun to shine “through windows, and through curtains” (Donne, l. 3) to wake them up. He would much rather have the sun disturb “late school-boys and sour prentices...court-huntsmen that the king will ride...country ants to harvest offices,” (Donne, ll. 6-8). Donne thinks that the Sun, the “busy old fool,” (Donne, l. 1) should not have “beams so reverend, and strong,” (Donne, l. 11). They are the center of the world, and that is why the sun is shining on them. Donne tells the sun that “this bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere,” (Donne, l. 30). He determines that the bed he and his love are sharing is the center of the universe. Time stands still and they are allowed to enjoy the company of the other while staying in bed. This proves a version of love being boundless.

As for Christopher Marlowe, “love” is also a Utopia and timeless. In “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,” Marlowe is expressing his love by promising his love materials that he will give her. Marlowe lives in an “ideal” world where there are no worries as long as if you are in love. He talks about “hills and valleys, dales and fields,/Or woods or steepy mountai...

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...t irrational too because it makes the couple the center of the world. Love becomes timeless, like in “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.” However, feeling like they are the center of the world is the effect love has on people because they are so overjoyed with being together. “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” is the most sensible view of love because it proves true love. Donne shows that no matter what, the couple will continue to love each other. Even if they are spread far apart, he will always come back to her like a compass meets back to its original point. Also, the couple completes each other to become a perfect circle that is holy, complete, and eternal. All of these poems have overlapping ideas while they contrast each other. Although there are diverse conceptions of “love,” the main views of love vary from a physical sense and a spiritual sense of love.