Question

How do sighing and weeping affect the speaker?

Hint:

John Donne’s metaphysical poetry teaches that true love is intellectual and eternal — not dependent on physical closeness.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Context.
This question is from the poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne. The poem describes the deep and spiritual love between two souls that remains unbroken even when they are physically separated.
Step 2: Explanation.
The poet explains that sighing and weeping, which are outward signs of sorrow, weaken the soul and the bond of love. Instead of expressing love through physical emotions, Donne believes that true love is calm, pure, and intellectual. Such love is based on spiritual connection, not temporary passion.
Step 3: Poetic Insight.
Donne compares lovers to the “two legs of a compass” — though one moves away, both remain connected at the center. He feels that sighing and crying reduce the dignity of love, which should be peaceful and firm even in absence.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Thus, sighing and weeping weaken the speaker’s soul and distort the purity of love. True love does not depend on outward expression but on spiritual unity.