Metaphysical Conceit in the Poetry of John Donne Many of John Donne's poems contain metaphysical conceits and intellectual reasoning to build a deeper understanding of the speaker's emotional state. A metaphysical conception can be defined as an extended and unconventional metaphor between seemingly unrelated objects. Donne is exceptionally good at creating unusual unions between different elements to illustrate his point and form a persuasive argument in his poems. Using metaphysical concepts in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning", Donne attempts to convince his love (presumably his wife) that separation is a positive experience that should not be viewed with sadness. In the first stanza, Donne compares the speaker's departure to the sweet death of virtuous men who die so peacefully that their loved ones find it difficult to pinpoint the exact moment of their death. Their separation must be a smooth transition like this form of death described by Donne. The poet writes: "let us loosen up and make no noise" (line 5). Cavanaugh explains that the word "dissolve" refers to a change in physical state and says that "the lovers' bond will dissolve as silently as the soul of a dying man separating from his body" (par. 5). I don't entirely agree with Cavanaugh's idea that the lovers' bond will dissolve, but I do agree that there is a change in physical state. The bond will still be present, altered only due to the absence of a physical presence. The next concept used by Donne is based on the Ptolemaic vision of the universe divided into moving spheres. This outdated fact would only be known to well-educated individuals, as Donne obviously was. Donne's allusion to studies...... middle of paper...... Donne, you can see that although each poem is unique, there are specific elements that are common in all of them. Works Cited Abrams, MH, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1993. Cavanaugh, Cynthia A. "The Circle of Souls in John Donne's A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." The Luminary. 1999. (December 3, 1999)Donne, John. "A Farewell: Forbidding Mourning." Abrams, 1093-1094.Donne, John. "A farewell: of tears." Abrams, 1089.Donne, John. "The indifferent." Abrams, 1085-1086.Donne, John. "The Flea." Abrams, 1090-1091.Mourgues, Odette De. Metaphysical, baroque and precious poetry. Folcroft, PA: The Folcroft Press, Inc., 1969. “Venus, of Greek Religion.” The 1997 Canadian Encyclopedia Plus. CD-ROM. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1996.