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...

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…