IB Plog #1 "The Good-Morrow"

John Donne "The Good-Marrow"

I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I
Did, till we lov'd? Were we not wean'd till then?
But suck'd on countrey pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the seaven sleepers den?
T'was so; But this, all pleasures fancies bee.
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desir'd, and got, 'twas but a dreame of thee.

And now good morrow to our waking soules,
Which watch not one another out of feare;
For love, all love of other sights controules,
And makes one little roome, an every where.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,
Let Maps to other, worlds on worlds have showne,
Let us possesse one world; each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appeares,
And true plaine hearts doe in the faces rest,
Where can we finde two better hemispheares
Without sharpe North, without declining West?
What ever dyes, was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I
Love so alike, that none doe slacken, none can die.


Good Morrow Commentary

In “The Good-Morrow,” John Donne creates a certain, loving tone to promote the theme that love is the only necessary thing in life. He develops the confident tone primarily through metaphors and diction. John Donne is so certain of the power of his love that he believes all he needs is his lover, and life will be complete.
Donne’s certainty in the strength of his love is emphasized by his contrasting uncertainty that was present before he met his love. In the beginning of the poem, Donne uses many questions to demonstrate the doubt present in his earlier life. Later in the poem, Donne says, “true plain hearts do in the faces rest,” which is a metaphor explaining how souls can be expressed through someone’s eyes. Donne knows his lover so well he feels that he can study her heart by looking at her face. The hearts are “true” and “plain”; Donne is confident that his love is open and reciprocated.
Donne creates a loving tone primarily through metaphors in the second stanza. He begins the stanza with, “And now good-morrow to our waking souls,” which compares their souls to waking people, who are usually refreshed and happy. Those words also create an image of a sun-soaked bedroom, so I envision Donne waking lover, completely satisfied and absorbed in his love. Donne goes on to say that their love “makes one little room an everywhere.” He uses hyperbole to explain the power and satisfaction of love; once again, his tone is completely absorbed in the love contained in one small room. He never has to leave because the room is “everywhere.”
Donne uses metaphors and specific language to create an enthralled and certain tone. This promotes the theme that love is all you need because Donne is so perfectly content in his love.