A Valediction: of Weeping - John Donne
/A Valediction: of Weeping - John Donne/
Tears as Tokens of Love and Separation
Original (English): Let me pour forth
English: Let me pour forth
Original (English): My tears before thy face whilst I stay here,
English: My tears before thy face whilst I stay here,
Original (English): For thy face coins them, and thy stamp they bear,
English: For thy face coins them, and thy stamp they bear,
Original (English): And by this mintage they are something worth,
English: And by this mintage they are something worth,
Original (English): For thus they be
English: For thus they be
Original (English): Pregnant of thee;
English: Pregnant of thee;
Original (English): Fruits of much grief they are, emblems of more;
English: Fruits of much grief they are, emblems of more;
Original (English): When a tear falls, that thou falls which it bore,
English: When a tear falls, that thou falls which it bore,
Original (English): So thou and I are nothing then, when on a divers shore.
English: So thou and I are nothing then, when on a divers shore.
Original (English): On a round ball
English: On a round ball
Original (English): A workman that hath copies by, can lay
English: A workman that hath copies by, can lay
Original (English): An Europe, Afric, and an Asia,
English: An Europe, Afric, and an Asia,
Original (English): And quickly make that, which was nothing, All;
English: And quickly make that, which was nothing, All;
Original (English): So doth each tear,
English: So doth each tear,
Original (English): Which thee doth wear,
English: Which thee doth wear,
Original (English): A globe, yea world, by that impression grow,
English: A globe, yea world, by that impression grow,
Original (English): Till thy tears mixed with mine do overflow
English: Till thy tears mixed with mine do overflow
Original (English): This world, by waters sent from thee, my heaven dissolved so.
English: This world, by waters sent from thee, my heaven dissolved so.
Original (English): O more than Moon,
English: O more than Moon,
Original (English): Draw not up seas to drown me in thy sphere;
English: Draw not up seas to drown me in thy sphere;
Original (English): Weep me not dead, in thine armes, but forbear
English: Weep me not dead, in thine armes, but forbear
Original (English): To teach the sea what it may do too soon;
English: To teach the sea what it may do too soon;
Original (English): Let not the wind
English: Let not the wind
Original (English): Example find
English: Example find
Original (English): To do me more harm than it purposeth;
English: To do me more harm than it purposeth;
Original (English): Since thou and I sigh one another’s breath,
English: Since thou and I sigh one another’s breath,
Original (English): Whoe’er sighs most is cruellest, and hastes the other’s death.
English: Whoe’er sighs most is cruellest, and hastes the other’s death.
In “A Valediction: of Weeping,” John Donne explores the powerful interplay between sorrow and love when two souls are about to part. He likens tears to minted coins, carrying the beloved’s image and thus holding intrinsic value. Each tear becomes both a physical token and an emblem of the emotional exchange between lovers. The poem proceeds with rich imagery, including the notion of tears as tiny worlds—each drop reflecting the larger cosmos of the lovers’ bond.
Donne’s metaphysical style emerges as he examines how profound sadness can elevate love to a nearly cosmic scale: tears overflow into global or even celestial dimensions. In this sense, a single sorrowful tear carries the weight of both individuals’ emotional worlds, deepening the sentiment behind their separation. Yet, while tears highlight the depth of connection, they also hint at the danger of overwhelming grief. The final stanza cautions against sorrow so excessive that it becomes destructive. Donne suggests that too many tears—or too many sighs—can hasten the physical or emotional demise of the other, since their breaths are mutually sustaining. Ultimately, the poem underscores the paradoxical power of grief to both bind and endanger those who share a profound emotional bond, calling upon the lovers to temper their sorrow so their love may persist without ruin.
Key points
1) Tears can be tokens of devotion and carry emotional weight. 2) Deep feelings can expand mundane symbols into cosmic significance. 3) Excessive sorrow may harm the very bond it expresses. 4) True love seeks balance, even in moments of parting.