The Ecstasy

Context

• The Ecstasy by John Donne was written in the early 17th century and is one of his most famous metaphysical poems, exploring the nature of spiritual and physical love.
• The poem reflects Donne's characteristic blending of sensuality and spirituality, examining how the union of souls is as significant as the union of bodies in love.
• This poem is part of Donne's broader body of work that often questions and redefines traditional views on love, emphasizing the importance of both the physical and the spiritual in a complete relationship.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem consists of 76 lines, divided into rhymed couplets.
• The rhyme scheme is AABBCC, which gives the poem a musical and rhythmic quality, appropriate for its contemplative and philosophical exploration of love.
• The meter is predominantly iambic tetrameter, which lends a lighter, more flowing rhythm that complements the poem's meditative tone.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker is a lover, reflecting deeply on the experience of being in love, focusing on both the physical and spiritual aspects of this bond.
• The setting is a natural, serene environment, often interpreted as a riverside or garden, where the lovers are physically close but primarily engaged in a profound spiritual and emotional exchange.

Poetic Devices

Conceit:

• Donne uses a metaphysical conceit to compare the union of two lovers to the fusion of souls, suggesting that their physical closeness is just a representation of a deeper, spiritual connection.
• The speaker asserts, "Our souls, which to advance their state, / Were gone out, hung 'twixt her and me," emphasizing the merging of souls as the essence of true love.

Paradox:

• The poem employs paradox to explore the simultaneous physical separation and spiritual union of the lovers, suggesting that their love transcends physical boundaries.
• The speaker notes, "So to intergraft our hands, as yet / Was all the means to make us one," highlighting the paradox of physical gestures symbolizing a deeper, spiritual unity.

Imagery:

• Donne uses rich imagery to describe the intertwining of souls and bodies, portraying love as an alchemical process that purifies and elevates both lovers.
• The speaker describes, "And whilst our souls negotiate there, / We like sepulchral statues lay," using the imagery of statues to convey the stillness and profundity of their spiritual connection.

Symbolism:

• The poem uses symbols such as hands and eyes to represent the physical acts of love that lead to a spiritual union, showing that true love involves both body and soul.
• The speaker reflects, "As 'twixt two equal armies Fate / Suspends uncertain victory," symbolizing the balanced and mutual nature of their love.

Key Themes

The Union of Souls

• The poem explores the idea that true love involves the union of souls, which is more significant and lasting than physical union alone.
• The speaker emphasizes, "Our souls, which to advance their state, / Were gone out, hung 'twixt her and me," illustrating the merging of souls as the essence of their love.

The Interdependence of Physical and Spiritual Love

• Donne argues that physical love is important but incomplete without spiritual connection, suggesting that both aspects are necessary for a full experience of love.
• The speaker asserts, "So to intergraft our hands, as yet / Was all the means to make us one," highlighting the interplay between physical touch and spiritual unity.

The Elevation of Love

• The poem portrays love as an elevating force that transcends ordinary physical experiences, merging the lovers' souls into a higher, more profound union.
  • The speaker claims, "As 'twixt two equal armies Fate / Suspends uncertain victory," symbolizing the balanced and transcendent nature of their connection.

Similar Poems

• "The Good Morrow": This poem also explores the theme of spiritual and physical love, suggesting that true love unites both body and soul in a perfect balance.
• "The Canonization": This poem, similar to The Ecstasy, treats love as a sacred and transformative force, elevating the lovers to a state of spiritual unity that transcends the physical world.
• "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning": Like The Ecstasy, this poem emphasizes the spiritual connection between lovers, suggesting that physical separation cannot diminish their bond.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-6

Where, like a pillow on a bed

A pregnant bank swell'd up to rest

The violet's reclining head,

Sat we two, one another's best.

Our hands were firmly cemented

With a fast balm, which thence did spring;

"Where, like a pillow on a bed / A pregnant bank swell'd up to rest / The violet's reclining head,"

• The speaker describes the setting with a "pregnant bank" that swells like a pillow to support a "violet's reclining head."
• This natural imagery suggests a serene and intimate environment, setting the scene for the deep connection between the lovers.

"Sat we two, one another's best."

• The speaker and his beloved are depicted as deeply united, each being the best companion for the other.
• This line emphasizes their unique and profound bond, one that is unparalleled.

"Our hands were firmly cemented / With a fast balm, which thence did spring;"

• The lovers' hands are metaphorically "cemented" together, indicating a strong, unbreakable connection.
• The "fast balm" suggests a natural, almost magical force that binds them, symbolizing the spiritual and physical union between the two.

Lines 7-12

Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread

Our eyes upon one double string;

So to'intergraft our hands, as yet

Was all the means to make us one,

And pictures in our eyes to get

Was all our propagation.

"Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread / Our eyes upon one double string;"

• The speaker uses the metaphor of "eye-beams" being twisted together, suggesting an intense, spiritual connection through their gazes.
• The "double string" implies a bond that ties their souls together, emphasizing the unity between them.

"So to'intergraft our hands, as yet / Was all the means to make us one,"

• Their physical union, symbolized by their intertwined hands, is depicted as a way to become "one".
• The term "intergraft" suggests a merging or blending of their beings, similar to grafting plants together to form a single, stronger entity.

"And pictures in our eyes to get / Was all our propagation."

• The lovers see reflections of each other in their eyes, with these "pictures" representing their emotional and spiritual offspring.
• This line suggests that their love transcends physical procreation, focusing instead on the spiritual connection and mutual reflection.

Lines 13-18

As 'twixt two equal armies fate

Suspends uncertain victory,

Our souls (which to advance their state

Were gone out) hung 'twixt her and me.

And whilst our souls negotiate there,

We like sepulchral statues lay;

"As 'twixt two equal armies fate / Suspends uncertain victory,"

• The speaker compares their souls' connection to two equal armies in battle, where the outcome is uncertain.
• This metaphor suggests a tension and balance between the two lovers, with neither dominating the other.

"Our souls (which to advance their state / Were gone out) hung 'twixt her and me."

• Their souls have left their bodies in an attempt to "advance their state", meaning to elevate their connection to a higher, more spiritual level.
• The souls are depicted as suspended between the lovers, indicating a moment of equilibrium where their connection is perfectly balanced.

"And whilst our souls negotiate there, / We like sepulchral statues lay;"

• As their souls engage in a silent, spiritual negotiation, the lovers lie still as "sepulchral statues".
• This imagery of stillness and death-like calm underscores the deep, almost transcendent nature of their connection, where physical activity ceases in favour of spiritual communion.

Lines 19-24

All day, the same our postures were,

And we said nothing, all the day.

If any, so by love refin'd

That he soul's language understood,

And by good love were grown all mind,

Within convenient distance stood,

"All day, the same our postures were, / And we said nothing, all the day."

• The lovers remain in the same position throughout the day, not speaking, suggesting a profound communication beyond words.
• This silence reflects the depth of their connection, where verbal communication is unnecessary.

"If any, so by love refin'd / That he soul's language understood,"

• The speaker implies that only those who are "refined" by love can understand the silent, spiritual communication between their souls.
• This line suggests that their connection is so elevated that it can only be comprehended by those who have reached a similar level of love.

"And by good love were grown all mind, / Within convenient distance stood,"

• The speaker suggests that those who have been transformed by "good love" into beings of pure mind could perceive their spiritual connection from a distance.
• This line emphasizes the intellectual and spiritual nature of their love, which transcends the physical and can be sensed by similarly enlightened souls.

Lines 25-30

He (though he knew not which soul spake,

Because both meant, both spake the same)

Might thence a new concoction take

And part far purer than he came.

This ecstasy doth unperplex,

We said, and tell us what we love;

"He (though he knew not which soul spake, / Because both meant, both spake the same)"

• The speaker imagines an observer who, despite not knowing which soul is speaking, understands that both souls are in perfect harmony.
• This emphasizes the unity and indistinguishability of the lovers' souls, as they express the same thoughts and emotions.

"Might thence a new concoction take / And part far purer than he came."

• The observer, by witnessing this spiritual union, might leave with a "new concoction", implying a newfound understanding or enlightenment.
• This suggests that the experience of observing such a pure connection can refine or purify others as well.

"This ecstasy doth unperplex, / We said, and tell us what we love;"

• The speaker claims that their state of ecstasy clarifies their understanding, revealing the true nature of their love.
• The phrase "unperplex" implies that the intense emotional and spiritual connection resolves any confusion about their feelings.

Lines 31-36

We see by this it was not sex,

We see we saw not what did move;

But as all several souls contain

Mixture of things, they know not what,

Love these mix'd souls doth mix again

And makes both one, each this and that.

"We see by this it was not sex,"

• The speaker and his lover realize that their profound connection transcends physical desire; it is not about sex.
• This line emphasizes the spiritual and emotional aspects of their bond, distinguishing it from mere physical attraction.

"We see we saw not what did move;"

• They acknowledge that they previously did not fully understand the force behind their connection.
• This line suggests that their love operates on a level beyond ordinary comprehension, something that they are only now beginning to grasp.

"But as all several souls contain / Mixture of things, they know not what,"

• The speaker notes that every soul is a blend of various elements, many of which are not fully understood by the individuals themselves.
• This highlights the complexity and mystery inherent in human nature and love.

"Love these mix'd souls doth mix again / And makes both one, each this and that."

• Love takes these already mixed souls and merges them even further, creating a unified whole.
• The idea that love "makes both one, each this and that" suggests that in true love, individuality is preserved even as the two become one, blending yet maintaining their unique identities.

Lines 37-42

A single violet transplant,

The strength, the colour, and the size,

(All which before was poor and scant)

Redoubles still, and multiplies.

When love with one another so

Interinanimates two souls,

"A single violet transplant, / The strength, the colour, and the size,"

• The speaker uses the metaphor of transplanting a violet to illustrate how love can cause something small and weak to grow stronger.
• This image suggests that love has the power to enhance and enrich the qualities of both individuals.

"(All which before was poor and scant) / Redoubles still, and multiplies."

• The violet, initially "poor and scant", becomes more vibrant and abundant through transplantation, symbolizing the transformative power of love.
• This implies that love not only strengthens individuals but also multiplies their virtues and strengths.

"When love with one another so / Interinanimates two souls,"

• The speaker describes love as a force that "interinanimates" two souls, meaning it breathes life into both by merging them.
• This suggests a deep, mutual exchange of vitality and essence, where each soul is enhanced by the other.

Lines 43-48

That abler soul, which thence doth flow,

Defects of loneliness controls.

We then, who are this new soul, know

Of what we are compos'd and made,

For th' atomies of which we grow

Are souls, whom no change can invade.

"That abler soul, which thence doth flow, / Defects of loneliness controls."

• The union of the two souls creates a stronger, "abler" soul, which overcomes the "defects of loneliness."
• This line suggests that true love not only unites but also heals the loneliness and deficiencies of each individual.

"We then, who are this new soul, know / Of what we are compos'd and made,"

• The speaker asserts that through this union, they gain a clearer understanding of their true nature and the essence of their being.
• This self-awareness is a result of their love, which reveals the deepest aspects of their souls.

"For th' atomies of which we grow / Are souls, whom no change can invade."

• The speaker reflects that the very "atomies" or fundamental particles of their beings are souls, which are immune to change.
• This emphasizes the eternal and unchanging nature of their spiritual connection, suggesting that their love is impervious to external forces.

Lines 49-54

But oh alas, so long, so far,

Our bodies why do we forbear?

They'are ours, though they'are not we; we are

The intelligences, they the spheres.

We owe them thanks, because they thus

Did us, to us, at first convey,

"But oh alas, so long, so far, / Our bodies why do we forbear?"

• The speaker laments the prolonged separation from physical intimacy, questioning why they deny their bodies' desires for so long.
• This introduces a tension between the spiritual and physical aspects of their love, acknowledging the importance of both.

"They'are ours, though they'are not we; we are / The intelligences, they the spheres."

• He distinguishes between the soul ("intelligences") and the body ("spheres"), suggesting that while the body is important, it does not define them.
• This line reflects the duality of human nature, where the body and soul are interconnected yet distinct.

"We owe them thanks, because they thus / Did us, to us, at first convey,"

• The speaker expresses gratitude to their bodies for bringing their souls together in the first place.
• This recognition of the body's role in facilitating their connection underscores the necessity of both physical and spiritual aspects in their relationship.

Lines 55-60

Yielded their senses' force to us,

Nor are dross to us, but allay.

On man heaven's influence works not so,

But that it first imprints the air;

So soul into the soul may flow,

Though it to body first repair.

"Yielded their senses' force to us, / Nor are dross to us, but allay."

• The speaker suggests that the body's senses are not worthless ("dross") but rather serve as an "allay", meaning they temper or moderate the soul's experiences.
• This line challenges the idea that the body is inferior, proposing instead that the physical senses contribute positively to the union of souls.

"On man heaven's influence works not so, / But that it first imprints the air;"

• The speaker draws a parallel between the influence of heaven on man and the soul's influence on the body, noting that just as heavenly influence first affects the air, so too does the soul first manifest through the body.
• This metaphor suggests that the physical body is a necessary medium for the soul's expression, much like air is for heavenly influence.

"So soul into the soul may flow, / Though it to body first repair."

• The speaker concludes that souls can connect and flow into each other, but this connection typically begins through the body.
• This line reinforces the idea that physical presence and senses are the initial means by which spiritual connections are formed.

Lines 61-66

As our blood labors to beget

Spirits, as like souls as it can,

Because such fingers need to knit

That subtle knot which makes us man,

So must pure lovers' souls descend

T' affections, and to faculties,

"As our blood labors to beget / Spirits, as like souls as it can,"

• The speaker likens the body's process of creating "spirits" (vital forces) to the creation of souls, indicating that there is a deep connection between the physical and spiritual.
• This analogy suggests that just as blood produces life-giving spirits, the physical body plays a crucial role in the creation and expression of love.

"Because such fingers need to knit / That subtle knot which makes us man,"

• He describes the union of body and soul as a "subtle knot" that makes us human, implying that both elements are essential for a complete existence.
• This metaphor of "knitting" suggests that love is a delicate and intricate process that binds the physical and spiritual together.

"So must pure lovers' souls descend / T' affections, and to faculties,"

• The speaker argues that even the purest love must "descend" into the realm of physical affections and faculties to fully manifest.
• This line emphasizes the necessity of physical expression in love, as it allows the soul to communicate and connect with another.

Lines 67-72

Which sense may reach and apprehend,

Else a great prince in prison lies.

To'our bodies turn we then, that so

Weak men on love reveal'd may look;

Love's mysteries in souls do grow,

But yet the body is his book.

"Which sense may reach and apprehend, / Else a great prince in prison lies."

• The speaker suggests that without the ability to express love physically, it remains trapped, like "a great prince in prison".
• This metaphor highlights the limitations of purely spiritual love, implying that physical manifestation is necessary for its full realization.

"To'our bodies turn we then, that so / Weak men on love reveal'd may look;"

• He advocates for returning to the body, so that love can be observed and understood by others, especially those who may not grasp its spiritual aspects.
• This line suggests that physical expressions of love make it accessible and comprehensible to all.

"Love's mysteries in souls do grow, / But yet the body is his book."

• While love's deepest mysteries develop within the soul, the body serves as the "book" through which these mysteries are communicated.
• This metaphor reinforces the idea that physical embodiment is essential for the expression and understanding of love's spiritual truths.

Lines 73-76

And if some lover, such as we,

Have heard this dialogue of one,

Let him still mark us, he shall see

Small change, when we'are to bodies gone.

"And if some lover, such as we, / Have heard this dialogue of one,"

• The speaker addresses other lovers who might understand the spiritual dialogue he and his lover share, suggesting a kinship with those who experience love on a deep level.
• This line acknowledges that not all will comprehend the depth of their connection, but those who do are like-minded.

"Let him still mark us, he shall see / Small change, when we'are to bodies gone."

• He suggests that even when their souls return to their bodies, there will be a "small change", indicating that their spiritual connection remains constant, regardless of physical separation.
• This line reinforces the enduring nature of their love, suggesting that their bond transcends both physical and spiritual realms.