The Ecstasy by John Donne Poem Analysis

Poem Analysis Essay: “The Ecstasy” by John Donne
John Donne is one of the celebrated poets, in the area of love. The poem “The Ecstasy” is one of the most renowned poems written by John Donne, which conveys the author’s distinctive and progressive notions regarding love. The poem explicates the perspective that untainted, divine or real love is existent solely in the union of souls instituted by the physical. From Donne’s perspective, true and pure love is solely existent when the physiques and souls of two human beings are intimately unified. Donne’s delineation of ‘ecstasy’ is intricate, if not indescribable. At the highpoint of love, Donne has the conviction that a state of ecstasy is existent between lovers that espouses all facets of their being with one another.
The first stanza of the poem depicts the two lovers as sitted on an elevated expanse such as a riverbank. The setting is deemed to be natural, very tranquil and silent. The riverbed is delineated as a pillow on a bed. The setting is during the springtime and violet blooms signify faithful love and truth. Donne explicates that the lovers were sitted together with palms clasped with one another and looking absorbedly into each other’s eyes. When their eyes meet, they mirror the imageries of one another and their sights interlaced together. They attain a sort of responsiveness within their hearts and blood, making them sweat and blush. They end up being ecstatic owing to the reason that their souls have absconded from their physiques to result in a state of pleasure and harmony. When love amalgamates two souls, they intermingle and produce a new and better soul, which eradicates the shortcomings and supplies whatever is missing in either single soul. The newfangled soul comprising of their two distinct souls gives them ecstasy.
The fourth stanza of the poem expresses the essence of the experience of togetherness of the two partners. In this case, the soul takes the initiative and the body lies still and inactive. Notably, the soul is affianced in an undertaking and achieves the task with an outstanding tranquility and assurance. This is depicted in an extended form of two equivalent armies, displayed against one another and anticipating declaration of victory in the battleground by destiny. In this regard, the terminology ‘equal armies’ delineates the outlook of the poet towards lovers in the sense that both lovers are at a similar level with one another devoid of having an upper hand over the other. The body becomes inactive and the soul is radiant with divine ecstasy.
In the subsequent stanzas, Donne extensively elucidates the state that the two lovers are experiencing. The poet points out that the state of ecstasy does not confuse or mix up what they are going through and what instigated this euphoria was not sex. In essence, Donne makes it clear that they are a unified soul and each one exemplifies the other. Basically, the two souls have unified and are presently one and there is nothing that can alter this flawlessness and suitability. In this regard, it is perceptible that Donne advocates for platonic love owing to the reason that he unequivocally communicates that the soul necessitates being embedded or engrained in another soul in order to form one soul that repairs the imperfections of their souls. The actuality that sex did not play any part in their love is heartening for supporters of platonic love. Nonetheless, in an unexpected change, the attitude of the poem transforms in a sweeping manner. The poem asserts, “But, O alas ! so long, so far, Our bodies why do we forbear?” The poet suddenly changes his point of view by delineating the role that the body plays in a human being’s understanding and experience of love. This is a call by Donne for the readers to think about platonic love. In essence, the poet instigates the notion that even though this sort of love might be existent, bodies are the indispensable advocates of this love. Regardless of the extent to which love becomes raised, in the end, bodies are in control of all facets.
In this regard, Donne likens the correlation between the soul and the physique to that of the angels and a rotating body situated in the sky. In this particular case, the souls are considered to be the revolving bodies in the sense that they flow out of the physique but at the end of the day they are controlled by the physiques. This is an emphasis made by the author regarding the significance of the body in love. The poet states that, “So must pure lovers’ souls descend, To affections, and to faculties… To our bodies turn we then”. Donne is critical of platonic love that is certain that spiritual love surpasses and exceeds the boundaries of the phyicals. The poet demonstrates that his idea of love encompasses the unification of the soul and the body. Souls devoid of the physical deed of love are confined. That is, irrespective of the state of ecstasy that any two lovers go through, the incapability to espouse physiques in this process would give rise to the confinement of the souls. Donne asserts that the body is to some extent the book of love in which the love tale is embellished and therefore has to be read.
The culminating lines of the paint the picture in its entirety. Donne presents a depiction of an onlooker who looks at the two lovers making love. The poet points out that the onlooker would not comprehend the idyllic unification that these two lovers possess. By finishing with these lines, the author repudiates the whole notion of platonic love. In fact, the author demonstrates that spiritual or divine love is indiscernible through the perspectives of other individuals irrespective of its potent altitude. Taking this into consideration, what is recognized and seen is the physical instead of the metaphysical. In conclusion, the poem takes supporters of platonic love in an enthralling ride whilst reading the initial parts. However, Donne skillfully influences the feelings of the readers and reels then in an unexpected turn so as to be critical of spiritual love and lay emphasis on the needs of the physical.
“The Ecstasy” is a perceptible and comprehensible delineation of Donne’s viewpoint of love. The author expresses it through the poem that real and actual love is spiritual. It is a unification of two souls. The imageries in “The Ecstacy” lay emphasis on the correlation of the body and soul. The poet starts with pictorial images of the riverbank, the holding of hands, perspiration and blushing together with other aspects that are physical in nature. At the same time, Donne goes further to bring in the spiritual through the unification of two souls of lovers. Nonetheless, Donne does not disregard the claims of the physique. Donne claims that it is the physique that brings the lovers together. Loves starts in affective apprehension, which is followed up by spiritual love and therefore it is not right to overlook the physique. In the end, the poem indicates that Donne insists that the unification of the bodies is as significant as the unification of the souls.