The theme of the poem is woman’s inconstancy which has provoked a series of fantastic images which points out that to come across a constant woman is more impossible than the greatest of known impossibilities;
“Go, And Catche A Falling Starre.
Even if one could catch the falling star, just as nobody can beget a child on the forked-rooted plant, a plant which has human qualities, so also one cannot discover a woman who is faithful to her lover.
“or who cleft the Devil’s foot”
Find out who cleft the feet of Satan or who cleft the Devil’s foot or listening to the music of the fabulous creatures who have no real existence change the human nature so that envy or jealously does not find out the reason which makes a man honest and even if one rides.
“Ten thousand daies (days) and nights to see these and still stranger sights to see, one will still not find, a woman the and frire.”
Donne makes a catalogue of impossibilities. In the first stanza of the poem Donne uses scientific exploration astronomy, creativity, memory, Bible, fairy tales, psychology and morality.
The poem reveals Donne’s satirical-cynical attitude towards womanhood. He thus breaks away from the Petrarchan tradition of woman-worship. He has himself experienced woman’s inconstancy, and so regards a constant woman as a rarity. However, if per chance, such a woman is ever met with, she would deserve all honour, worship and adoration.
Donne’s age is equally scientific and colonical exploration. The second stanza a about colonical exploration. He is very much influenced by environment. Donne is the child of his age of adventure, discoveries, scepticism and intellectual approach.
When a person came back after different experiences.
Ride ten thousand daies and nights
Till age snow while haires on thee,
Even if a man were to travel ten thousand days and nights like the Knight, till his hair turned white with age,
And sweare
No where
Lives a woman true and faire,
He will not find a woman who is both faithful and beautiful. All these are impossible tasks, and a faithful woman is equally impossible.
The abrupt, colloquial opening of the poem is to be noted. Its notable feature is the close approximation achieved between the rhythm of poetry and conversation. No conversation verse-pattern of accents and rhythms has been followed. The rhythms of Donne are speech rhythms which change according to the requirements of thought and emotion. Music, both of vowels and liquid consonants has been fully exploited. Monosyllabic words have been used, resulting in a concentration of vowel sounds. There is also a concentration of liquid consonants “L, M and N”. This is particularly true of the first stanza.
This poem is also remarkable for its rugged elements and masculine verse and youthful gaiety. The poet has invested his song with his usual intellectual vigour, fun and playful imagery.
When you met her,
At last, till you write your letter,
Yet shee
Will bee
False, ere I come, To two, or three.
The final conceit beats all the previous ones. The idea is that even if per chance, one comes across ‘a woman true and fair’ before one would write the second or third letter to her she is bound to be false and faithless.
To see a true woman would be wonderful, and one would undertake a pilgrimage, normally a long and tortuous journey to a religious center far away; but it would be useless, since by the time the pilgrim reaches the destination, the virtuous woman would have turned false.
The last stanza of the poem is extreme of scepticism (he did not complain personally about the faithlessness of woman when he was young he frequently enjoyed the company of ladies.
“John Donne, Anne Donne, undone”
Donne is the poet of coterie and the song (poem) is the result of coteries sitting and they (start) say a lot about the faithlessness of woman).
Each line in this song contains an active and dynamic image issuing from such common verbs as
‘Goe, and catche ………,’ ‘Get with child …….,’
‘tell me ……….,’ ‘Teach me ……..,’ etc.
Liveliness of drama and analytical treatment of thought have been left to the diction and imagery which work behind the mask f regularity and simplicity.
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