| An essay on The Broken Heart The speakers attitude toward the nature of love is clearly revealed through his use of imagery. It is apparent that he feels a sort of contempt towards love and the laws which govern it, the means by which it runs its course. Through his picturesque imagery, John Donne reveals his true feeling in this poem, The Broken Heart. John Donne's dislike of love is shown throughout the poem. In line 4 he says love devours. Devouring is usually associated with some starving beast. Many nicer words could have been used, yet the contemp felt towards love drew it out. Reference to the plague also paints a gruesome picture. Love is imagined as a disease, making one sick and usually forcing them into isolation so others won't be exposed. Perhaps he sees love as a disease from which he cannot escape and therefore this perception of it leads to his utter distaste of it. In the second stanza, love is seen swollowing people whole, again portraying it as a monster. Those tied together by love are consumed by the monster, all dying. The speaker feels that by falling in love he is committing suicide and will surely be consumed by it. He is merely a tiny fish, a fry in the lake with the giant pike of love chasing him, hungry to claim another victum. Because love is such a threat, even to his very existance, Donne is forced to flee for his life. The third stanza paints a picture of a man going into a room with his heart, but leaving empty handed. Love stole his heart and now he is left with nothing. The speaker also saw his heart as very fragile for it shattered like glass when struck the first time. Again all he sees is himself hurt by this thing called love, adding to his dislike of it. The speaker does not feel totally empty after loosing his heart for the pieces of it are still with him. Because it is in pieces, his heart can never again accompo\lish the love it was once able to but can like, wish, and adore. Like a mirror it merely reflects what is shown him. All he sees in love is pain, though his many images of the resultsl. Due to such a turn off the speaker is comtemptable towards the nature of love. |