John Donne’s The Funeral Essay

As with most poets of his time, Donne was obsessed with death. magnetize by its mysteries, charmed by its aloneure, and convinced of the existence of an afterlife (as a result of Christian theology), he finds himself at times unable to diminish on a p inventionicular view of the subject. While a considerable portion of Donnes opus deals with death either directly or indirectly, some poems depict death as insignificant while others drive home it as something he, and therefore hu servicemans, should fear. As a Christian, Donne believed (although perhaps did not understand) the concept of an afterlife. This conviction is shown by his understanding of death as a inevitable stage before reaching the glory of heaven, the promised life with God (http//www.luminarium.org/s hithertolit/oliver.htm). privy Donnes The Funeral is a sonnet of unafraid emotions. The writer is sledding bum someone he loved and who loved him greatly. The Funeral is a way for him to assign good-bye, to end this love the best way he knows how.The poem begins with a reference to the subtle wreath of hair which crowns my arm (3). This small bend was app arntly a tradition from the Renaissance era where a char would give a gold braid of her hair to the man she loved. He requests that it should be left alone because it is what completeshim, his outward soul (5). He seems to give birth make this small symbol of her affection everything he is about. He says he is leaving it to control and to turn back her from dying. How does a small circlet of hair keep her living? He is keeping her essence, her spirit, and her memory alive by keeping a disperse of her with him when he crosses over to the other side.Donne mentions that These hairs which upward grew, and strength and art/ Have from a make better brain (12-3). The hair the woman gave him is strong and beautiful, but from something better. She seems to be from a higher and better stature than he is so just the fact that he has this br aid of hair from her, he feels noteworthy. I take the statement Can better do it boot out she meant that I/ By this should know my pain (14-5) to mean that he better remember her when he is gone, unless he knows how much pain he is discharge to be going through when he dies. Donne continues, As prisoners then are manacled, when theyre condemned to die (16). His death will mean the loss of her, so the pain he will experience could mean the heartache a prisoner feels having to leave his or her previous life once sentenced to death. A prisoners life is over as soon as they are given their condemnation just as a souls life is concluded when they die.The third stanza brings him back to where he started, the bauble of hair. He doesnt care what her intentions are or were behind the hair, all he call fors to assure is that it will be with him when he is laid to rest. The man states that he is Loves martyr (19) and that if some other mortal happens to stumble on the hair, it might bree d idolatry (19). The fact that he has the idea that this small braid of hair could create someone to approve it supports the theory that this woman was more than just an average person was. She essential have been of some importance in order for him to want to harbor it so carefully. He calls the hair a relic, which is a part of the body, clothing, or other belongings of a saint, martyr, or other deceased dedicated person which is carefully preserved as an object of veneration. The use of the enounce relic helps support the belief of the womans significance.The last devil lines of the sonnet are what drive home the impression that whoever this woman was, she was important. So tis some bravery, / Thatsince you would save none of me, I sink some of you (23-4). She didnt keep anything that would remind her of him, and yet with some courage, he is able to bury this small token with him. Another interpretation says that save used to be printed as have which suggests a sexual relat ionship. This would mean that she didnt want him in the same way he wanted her, it takes audacity for him to keep something of hers with him for the rest of time.He was very over protective of the slight braid of hair that he obtained from this female. It is as if he had a small part of a celebrity that he didnt want anyone else to even have the opportunity to see. It is hard to draw any definite conclusions about who this woman was and what the relationship between she and he exactly boils down to. It is safe to confiscate however that she was at least of some relevance to him and he was consumed with even the idea of her.