Understanding the Poem
1. How do the shadows before noon differ from the shadows after
noon? What do the two kinds of shadow represent?
Answer:
2. Love is described as light. What makes the poet talk about
shadows?
Answer:
3. Comment on the use of the image of the shadows for the idea
that the poet wants to convey.
Answer:
4. The poet seems to be addressing his beloved in the poem. What
is the message he wishes to convey to her?
Answer:
5. Instead of ‘A Lecture Upon Love’ the poet calls the poem ‘A
Lecture Upon the Shadow’. What is the effect that this has on
our reading of the poem?
Answer:
Language Work
1. Notice the spelling of the following words
houres shadowes Sunne
noone clearnesse behinde
The ‘e’ that was used in Donne’s period got dropped from English
orthography later. Pick out the other words in the poem that
have this peculiar feature.
2. Take note also that the apostrophe is not used for indicating
the possessive form: loves philosophy.
3. Examples from other poems from this period:
• How neatly doe we give one onely name
• To parents issue and the sunnes bright starre!
Try this out
Notice the adjectives in phrases such as ‘infant loves’ and
‘brave clearnesse’. What is the meaning of these adjectives
(i) in isolation
(ii) as part of these phrases.
Suggested Reading
‘Go and Catch a Falling Star’ by John Donne
‘The Flea’ by John Donne.