John Donne's "The Good Morrow": Rhetorical Construction

The Good-Morrow

BY JOHN DONNE

I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I

Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?

But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?

Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?

’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.

If ever any beauty I did see,

Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere.

Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,

Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,

Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;

Where can we find two better hemispheres,

Without sharp north, without declining west?

Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

 I wonder by my trouth , what thou , and  I Did , till we Lov’d? 

were we not wean’d till then ? 

But suck’d on country pleasures , childishly ?

Rhetorical Construction:  

1. This is a case of Metaphor .The  lovers, prior to their experience of true loves , have been compared to children  who have not yet given up their mothers’ milk.The speaker compares their previous experiences of pleasure to a child sucking on simple, unsophisticated delights found in the countryside. This highlights the innocence and immaturity of their past lives.The  comparison is no made explicity.

2. Interrogation: The speaker begins with a rhetorical question, expressing wonderment about the nature of their relationship and what life was like before they fell in love.

3. Hypophora: The speaker anticipates the reader's question and provides the answer within the same line. The rhetorical question emphasizes that their lives lacked fulfillment and maturity before they found love.

    Or snorted we in the seaven  sleepers den ?

Rhetorical Construction: 

1.This is a case of allusion .The poet here refers to the Christian tale of the seven young christions who spent centuries sleeping in a cave in  order to escape the persecution of king deacius .

2. This is also  a case of Metaphor.The speaker metaphorically suggests that before love, they were in a state of unconsciousness or unawareness.The lovers prior to their experience of true love have been compared to people who were sleeping [ snorted ] The  comparison is not made explicit.

’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.

If ever any beauty I did see,

Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

 ’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be."

Rhetorical Construction: Antithesis

Explanation: The line contrasts their past experiences of pleasure, which were transient and illusory, with the present reality of their love. It asserts that love is the only true pleasure.

 "If ever any beauty I did see,"

Rhetorical Construction: Hyperbaton

Explanation: The inversion of word order emphasizes the importance of the speaker's experience of beauty. It sets up the idea that all the beauty they have encountered in the past pales in comparison to the beloved.

It is a case of Synecdoche. The abstract has been used for the concrete. Beauty has been used in place of ‘beautiful woman’.

 "Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee."

Rhetorical Construction: Metaphor

Explanation: The speaker compares all their previous desires and fulfillments of beauty to a mere dream in comparison to the reality of their love for the beloved.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,

Which watch not one another out of fear;

For love, all love of other sights controls,

And makes one little room an everywhere.

    ‘And now good morrow to our waking souls’

Rhetorical Construction:

1. This is a case of Metaphor. The lovers, prior to their realization of true love, have been compared to sleeping people, while the realization of true love has been compared to the state of being awake.

2.  Metonymy: "Good-morrow" is a greeting used to say "good morning." Here, it represents the awakening of their souls to the transformative power of love.

 "Which watch not one another out of fear;"

Rhetorical Construction: Personification

Explanation: The souls are personified, given the ability to watch. It signifies that their souls are no longer in a state of fear or unease in each other's presence.

 "For love, all love of other sights controls,"

 Hyperbole: The speaker exaggerates the power of love by claiming that it dominates and controls all other forms of affection or attraction.

"And makes one little room an everywhere."

1. Hyperbole: Love expands their shared space into a metaphorical "everywhere," suggesting that their love transcends physical boundaries and limitations.

2. This is a case of  Epigram . At first thought , the statement seems absurd because one little room’ can not be ‘ an every where’ But on thinking more deeply one realizes that if one stay with one’s beloved are will find in her all the pleasure that the world can give him .

    Let sea- discoverers to new worlds have gone. 

Let Maps to other, worlds on worlds have showne  

Let us possess one world, each hath one and is one.

"Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,"

Rhetorical Construction: 

1. Allusion: The speaker refers to the explorers who sailed the seas in search of new lands and draws a comparison to emphasize that their love is a greater discovery than any geographical expedition. The poet refers to the contemporary see-voyages and discoveries.

2. It is also a case of epigram since each of the lover’s  has  been compared to a world, comparison .Yet on twinking more deeply ,  we nature that one things all the joys of the world in one’s beloved .

 

"Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,"

Hyperbole: The speaker exaggerates the expansive nature of their love by suggesting that it surpasses the discoveries made by maps, which reveal an endless number of worlds.

"Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one."

  Paradox: The paradox here lies in the simultaneous possession of one world by both individuals. It conveys the idea that their love unites them so intimately that they share a single world, yet they remain distinct as individuals.

    My face in thine eye , thine in mine appears,

 And true plaine hearts die in the faces rest,

Rhetorical Construction:

 1. Hyperbaton: The inversion of word order emphasizes the mutual reflection of their faces in each other's eyes. It signifies the deep connection and mutual reflection they experience through their love.

2. Metonymy: "Faces" represents the essence of their true and honest hearts. It suggests that their genuine love and affection are clearly visible in their expressions and demeanor.

3. This is a case of Chiasmus . The first part of the statement ‘my face in thine eye’ has been repeated immediately in an inverted manner.

4. It is also a case of Epigram . At first the concept of the heart resting in the face appears absurd .But on thinking more deeply, one realizes that the nature of the characters always leaves its imprint on the face .

    Where can we finde two better hemispheres

 Without Sharpe North, without declining West ?

"Where can we find two better hemispheres,"

Rhetorical Construction:

 1. Metaphor: The speaker compares themselves to hemispheres, emphasizing the completeness and harmony they find in each other. It suggests that they are perfectly suited and complementary.

2. Antithesis: The contrasting images of "sharp north" and "declining west" represent discord and decline. The absence of these negative elements further emphasizes the harmony and stability of their love.

3. It is a case of synecdoche since the ‘North’ abstract and the abstract ‘west’ stand for the concrete north pole and western regions respectively.

4. It is also a case of Transferred epithet . The epithet ‘sharp’ is actually ‘ the weather’ and not ‘North’ similarly it is not ‘west’ which declines but the sun.

    ‘What ever dyes, was not mixt equally ;’

    Rhetorical Construction:

1. This is a case of Metaphor. The lover’s love for each other has been compared to a metallurgical process according to which if the elements making up a particular metal were not mixed in equal proportion, it would disintegrate, Similarly  unless the lovers loved each other in equal measure, their love would not last .

 2. Paradox: This paradoxical statement suggests that anything that fades or perishes was not blended in perfect unity, unlike their love, which remains strong and enduring.

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.

Rhetorical Construction: 

1. Hypophora: The speaker poses a rhetorical question, then answers it within the same line. It raises the possibility that their love is so unified and indivisible that it forms a single entity.

2. Epistrophe: The repetition of the word "none" at the end of both clauses emphasizes the idea that their love is so alike that neither partner weakens or diminishes it, and it cannot be extinguished or destroyed.

  Ardhendu De