Loves Deitie - John Donne
/Loves Deitie - John Donne/
Questioning Love’s Power and Its True Nature
Original (English): I cannot think that he, who then lov'd none,
English: I cannot think that he, who then lov'd none,
Original (English): Though he were lov'd by me, would it prefer
English: Though he were lov'd by me, would it prefer
Original (English): To love me again. Sure, if I'd only known
English: To love me again. Sure, if I'd only known
Original (English): That 'twas but love, or if I'd watch'd with care
English: That 'twas but love, or if I'd watch'd with care
Original (English): As still to watch had but advis'd me to bear
English: As still to watch had but advis'd me to bear
Original (English): My soul (which then was but a child) unwild;
English: My soul (which then was but a child) unwild;
Original (English): No puny mischief—I had not lov'd him so.
English: No puny mischief—I had not lov'd him so.
Original (English): But oh, how sweet is that love's infancy!
English: But oh, how sweet is that love's infancy!
Original (English): Which, like the plague, is full as strong as he
English: Which, like the plague, is full as strong as he
Original (English): That can infect, though in itself be none;
English: That can infect, though in itself be none;
Original (English): He lov'd of me, or I of him, was done.
English: He lov'd of me, or I of him, was done.
Original (English): But if 'twere not love, oh, how did we err
English: But if 'twere not love, oh, how did we err
Original (English): Who thought it love? Or what is love, I pray?
English: Who thought it love? Or what is love, I pray?
Original (English): Now I have lov'd so often that I may,
English: Now I have lov'd so often that I may,
Original (English): Though some shall call it my ill-luck, some my sin,
English: Though some shall call it my ill-luck, some my sin,
Original (English): That I can love no more. But oh, thou grim
English: That I can love no more. But oh, thou grim
Original (English): And unrelenting god, when thou shalt see
English: And unrelenting god, when thou shalt see
Original (English): A heart that cannot thee obey, thou must
English: A heart that cannot thee obey, thou must
Original (English): Kill that heart first, me next, or rest in me.
English: Kill that heart first, me next, or rest in me.
Original (English): But thou art merciful, and wilt not have
English: But thou art merciful, and wilt not have
Original (English): A life to kill: thou wouldst but make me rave
English: A life to kill: thou wouldst but make me rave
Original (English): In my own tears, or bury me all in moan,
English: In my own tears, or bury me all in moan,
Original (English): And make me love alone, alone, alone.
English: And make me love alone, alone, alone.
In “Loves Deitie,” John Donne contemplates the elusive nature of love and its spiritual or quasi-divine power. The speaker begins by describing his inability to understand how another person—once untouched by love—could suddenly return his affections. He suggests that if he had truly recognized the forces at play, or guarded his heart more vigilantly, he might have spared himself the emotional turbulence that followed.
As the poem unfolds, Donne uses a striking comparison to disease, likening the intensity of budding love to a plague: it can be transmitted with great force even if the infected party does not fully recognize it for what it is. This idea underscores the inherent mystery in the way passion can take hold, seemingly independent of conscious will or rational explanation.
Donne then poses questions about the authenticity of what he and his beloved experienced, even wondering whether their emotions constituted real love at all. He laments that repeated experiences of loving—whether through misfortune or moral failing—have depleted his capacity to love anew. It is here that the poem takes on a theological or cosmic dimension, referring to a deity of love that might either destroy him or dwell within him if his heart cannot obey. Donne highlights a tension: Love (personified as a god) exerts a powerful influence that can exact punishment if the individual cannot meet its demands.
Ultimately, the poem’s final lines offer both resignation and a muted hope. The speaker acknowledges that this “grim” god of love could spare his life, but only by leaving him to suffer in lonely tears. Through his characteristic metaphysical conceits and a blend of spiritual and romantic language, Donne’s “Loves Deitie” questions whether love is a purely human passion, a spiritual calling, or a mingling of the two—emphasizing love’s ability to uplift as well as devastate those who encounter it.
Key points
1) Love can appear suddenly and mysteriously, beyond one’s rational control. 2) Donne uses a plague metaphor to convey the potent, infectious nature of early passion. 3) The poem blurs boundaries between divine influence and human desire. 4) Repeated experiences in love may dull one’s capacity to feel, prompting a spiritual crisis.