The Canonization

The Canonization

(Introduction and Appreciation)

Development of Thought

       

The Canonization is one of the best known poems of Donne. Coleridge admired the poem, and it was one of his favourite readings. It is a love poem expressing Donne’s positive attitude towards love, an attitude of satisfaction and absorption in a love-relationship. Critics have taken it to be an expression of the poet’s love for Anne-Moore, whom he loved passionately and devotedly, an elopement and subsequent marriage with whom ruined his fortunes. But nothing can be asserted with any certainty in this respect.

The poem is based upon a paradox( A paradox is a self-contradictory statement). Its very title is paradoxical. As Cleanth Brooks points out a clever paradox underlines the poem, for the poet daringly treats profane love as it were divine love. Love of women is a profane activity denounced by the church. The lovers have not renounced the world and the pleasures of the flesh, they indulge in the joys of love-making, still they are called “Saints”. But the poet cleverly argues his case, and succeeds in establishing that devoted lovers, like the poet and his beloved, are saints, though they are saints of love. They have renounced the world for each other, and the body of each is a hermitage for the other. They are as devoted to each other as a saint is to God, and hence they may rightly be called saints oflove. Thus a physical relationship is treated like a spiritual relationshipof a devotee with his God, and so some critics have taken the poem to be a parody of Christian sainthood. But if it is at all a parody, it is an intensely serious parody. Donne is most in  earnest, when he seems to be the most mocking and ironical.

The poem begins abrubtly and colloquially in the characteristic manner of Donne, the purpose being to startle and surprise the readers, and in this way to capture their attention. For God sake hold your tongue, the poet tells the worldly-wise friend or well-wisher who tries to dissuadehim from love making. Such is the emotional situation and the poet proceeds to give arguments after arguments in support of his point of view.

First, love making is as natural to him as physical weakness and disease is to an old man and therefore no purpose would be served by rebuking him for it.

Secondly, the friend should mind his own business instead of trying to interfere with his pleasure. He may do what he likes, the poet will not mind as long as he permits him to continue with his love-making undisturbed.

Thirdly, says the poet, his love making is an innocent activity. It does not cause any harm to any one. His sighs do not cause storms and sink any ship, his tears do not cause any floods, his chills do not effect the weather and the warmth of his passion does not cause plague. All human and natural activity goes on as usual undisturbed. Then why should anybody object to his love making.

Fourthly, their love is true and all absorbing. They are two bodies and one soul. Such a love may be destructive, but it destroys themselves alone and not anybody else. The analogies in which the lovers are likened first to flies, and then to the eagle and the dove, and then finally to the phoenix, are among the finest instances of Donne’s wit and his use of conceits.

They may, “die” by their love , but after their death it would be realized that their love was a holy passion, a religious passion, and they would be regarde as saints of love: All approve us canonized for love. The story of their love may not be recorded in the books of history, and big monuments may not be built in their honour, but they would be remembered by poets who would write lyrics and sonnets to the glory of their love. When the people would hear these songs, they would regard them as hymns to the martyred saints of love. They would then invoke them and ask them to pray to god on their behalf, to send them a pattern of their love. In times to come their love would be regarded as a model by all lovers who would desire the same devotion from the objects of their love.

The poem has all the characteristic qualities of Donne’s poetry. We have already noted its abrubt, dramatic opening and Donne’s use of conceits. Don’s wit is also seen in expressions like, a king’s real or his stamped face. It is an ingenuous, thought provoking statement, which makes the readers sit up and reflect. The poem also illustrates Donne’s use of hyperbole. The very thought of the possibility or otherwise of his sighscausing storms and sinking ships, or his tears causing floods, is highly amusing. Such exaggerated statements are the grains of salt which Donne adds to the poetic dish he offers to his readers.

The poem, in short, richly deserves the praise that have been universally awarded to it. it is a great love poem and its last stanza beautifully sums up Donne’s philosophy of love.

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Notes prepared from reading of the text and Internet Sites.