Critical Analysis of The Indifferent by John Donne Essay

Critical Analysis of The Indifferent by John Donne The Indifferent by John Donne is a relatively simple love poem in comparison to his other, more complicated works. In this poem, he presents a lover who regards constancy as a vice and promiscuity as the path of virtue and good sense (Hunt 3). Because of Donnes Christian background, this poem was obviously meant to be a comical look at values that were opposite the ones held by Christians. According to Clay Hunt, [The Indifferent] is probably quite an early poem because of the simplicity and obviousness of its literary methods, its untroubled gaiety, and its pose of libertinism, which all suggest that Donne wrote [the poem] when he was a young man about town in†¦show more content†¦This is first introduced in the last line of the first stanza, and continues throughout the entire poem. The speaker desires a solely sexual relationship with his women, and he believes that such a relationship cannot exist if they are truthful to one another. According to Eleanor McNees, Donne re alizes that erotic license is irreconcilable with norms of truth and troth (207). Over the first stanza, the speed of the rhythm also increases with the importance. There is a rhythmic progression from the even, steady movement and moderate stresses of the opening lines to the slower pace, the stronger stresses, and sharply defined metrical pattern of her, and her, and you and you, and finally the very heavy accents on any and true in line 9 (Hunt 5). In the second stanza, the speaker continues upon the theme of faithfulness being a vice, and sexual promiscuity being a virtue. The sexual tone which was suggested in the first stanza in the anti-romantic details of spongy eyes and dry cork is intensified by the connotations of the words know and rob me; and the sexual pun on the word travail in the following line (Hunt 5). The speaker is trying to convince the women that he is talking to that promiscuity is a good thing and that neither he, nor the women should be faithful to their mate. This is evident in the lines: Will no other vice content you? . . . Or doth a fear that men are true, torment you? OhShow MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesperiod of American Literature - 1880-1900 Naturalism is a sub-genre ofrealism Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · dominant themes: survival fate violence taboo nature is an indifferent force acting on humans brute within each individual is comprised of strong and warring emotions such as greed, power, and fight for survival in an amoral, indifferent world. Genre/Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · short story, novel characters usually lower class or lower middle class fictional world is commonplace and unheroic; everyday