John Donne's Satires cover art

John Donne's Satires

John Donne's Satires

Written by: John Donne
Listen for free

Donne’s Style In John Donne’s day, a satire was such a poem as a satyr might compose. Satyrs were rough, savage creatures in Greek mythology, human to the waist but goat from there down. That is the reason that Donne’s style in these poems exceeds his normal difficulty in syntax, vocabulary, thought, and meter. His age enjoyed untangling such puzzles, and some poets cultivated obscurity as an art, called asprezza. Wordplay like “while bellows pant below” (Satyre 2), where the same syllables, stressed differently, produce two different words almost side by side, entertained them. An acoustical analogue to obscurity, Donne’s rhymes are often deliberately lame, while his rhythms nearly defy scansion and yet refuse to become mere prose. By keeping the drum beat just barely audible, he makes us feel that we are stumbling, out of step—neither marching nor merely walking. Why was this abuse of the reader enjoyable? Perhaps for the same reason that grafitti appeals to some people. At first glance Donne appears lax, but in fact he is naughty; not undisciplined but rebellious; he does not fail to abide by the rules but rather gives the impression of breaking them. Metempsychosis The poem appears to be incomplete, its “First Song” having no counterpart, no “Second Song.” Similarly its promise to end by identifying what celebrity the soul in question now inhabits is never fulfilled. On the contrary, the poem’s initial epic pretentions founder at the second generation of mankind rather than tracing human history from the Garden of Eden to modern England, as was proposed. In view of the author’s mock-heroic tone, however, the poem’s apparent incompletion may be part of the satire, so it does no harm to suppose it as complete as necessary to accomplish its purpose. What it accomplishes is to demonstrate, by means of the Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls, the depravity of the object of the satire (identity unknown but perhaps easily guessed by Donne’s audience). According to this doctrine, also called metempsychosis, the various guises that a soul takes in its travels are rewards or punishments for its conduct in each of its incarnations. It is debatable whether this process always leads to purification. In this poem it appears rather to be simple unfolding, dilation, the full realization of the soul’s potential. This soul has an appalling capacity for evil, beginning ominously as the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and never rising higher than the moral neutrality of a fish. (A modern reader unfamiliar with The Bhagavad Gita may rely on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as background to the concept of the dilation and degradation of a soul.) The style of the poem reflects the theme of shape-changing, for Donne loves to employ words’ multiple senses in close proximity: . . . Make my darke heavy Poëm light, and light . . . [not dark + not heavy] . . . to heare / Whose story, with long patience you will long . . . [adjective + verb] . . . Her, her fates threw . . . [object of verb + possessive] . . . Her sinne had now brought in infirmities . . . [verbal particle + prefix] . . . Ill steward of himself, himselfe in three yeares ends. . . . [object of preposition + object of verb] . . . Yet them all these unkinde kinds feed upon . . . [adjective + noun] Such wordplay is common in Donne’s satires, but in a poem chronicling the exploits of fishes, a sparrow, a wolf, and a mouse—all being the same individual in different forms—it seems especially appropriate. - Summary by Thomas CopelandCopyright Poetry Genre Art Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Diatessaron A Harmony of the Four Gospels-Tatian

    Diatessaron A Harmony of the Four Gospels-Tatian
    Aug 3 2026
    "Diatessaron: A Harmony of the Four Gospels" by Tatian presents a unique synthesis of the four canonical Gospels, merging their narratives into a single, cohesive account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This work is significant for its early attempt to harmonize disparate Gospel accounts, offering listeners a streamlined perspective on foundational Christian texts. The themes of unity and faith resonate deeply in today's world, where diverse viewpoints often challenge cohesion within communities. Tatian's endeavor not only reflects the quest for understanding but also invites contemplation on the enduring nature of spiritual narratives that continue to shape beliefs and inspire faith across generations.
    Show More Show Less
    6 hrs and 31 mins
  • John Donne's Satires - John Donne

    John Donne's Satires - John Donne
    Jun 18 2026
    Donne’s Style In John Donne’s day, a satire was such a poem as a satyr might compose. Satyrs were rough, savage creatures in Greek mythology, human to the waist but goat from there down. That is the reason that Donne’s style in these poems exceeds his normal difficulty in syntax, vocabulary, thought, and meter. His age enjoyed untangling such puzzles, and some poets cultivated obscurity as an art, called asprezza. Wordplay like “while bellows pant below” (Satyre 2), where the same syllables, stressed differently, produce two different words almost side by side, entertained them. An acoustical analogue to obscurity, Donne’s rhymes are often deliberately lame, while his rhythms nearly defy scansion and yet refuse to become mere prose. By keeping the drum beat just barely audible, he makes us feel that we are stumbling, out of step—neither marching nor merely walking. Why was this abuse of the reader enjoyable? Perhaps for the same reason that grafitti appeals to some people. At first glance Donne appears lax, but in fact he is naughty; not undisciplined but rebellious; he does not fail to abide by the rules but rather gives the impression of breaking them. Metempsychosis The poem appears to be incomplete, its “First Song” having no counterpart, no “Second Song.” Similarly its promise to end by identifying what celebrity the soul in question now inhabits is never fulfilled. On the contrary, the poem’s initial epic pretentions founder at the second generation of mankind rather than tracing human history from the Garden of Eden to modern England, as was proposed. In view of the author’s mock-heroic tone, however, the poem’s apparent incompletion may be part of the satire, so it does no harm to suppose it as complete as necessary to accomplish its purpose. What it accomplishes is to demonstrate, by means of the Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls, the depravity of the object of the satire (identity unknown but perhaps easily guessed by Donne’s audience). According to this doctrine, also called metempsychosis, the various guises that a soul takes in its travels are rewards or punishments for its conduct in each of its incarnations. It is debatable whether this process always leads to purification. In this poem it appears rather to be simple unfolding, dilation, the full realization of the soul’s potential. This soul has an appalling capacity for evil, beginning ominously as the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and never rising higher than the moral neutrality of a fish. (A modern reader unfamiliar with The Bhagavad Gita may rely on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as background to the concept of the dilation and degradation of a soul.) The style of the poem reflects the theme of shape-changing, for Donne loves to employ words’ multiple senses in close proximity: . . . Make my darke heavy Poëm light, and light . . . [not dark + not heavy] . . . to heare / Whose story, with long patience you will long . . . [adjective + verb] . . . Her, her fates threw . . . [object of verb + possessive] . . . Her sinne had now brought in infirmities . . . [verbal particle + prefix] . . . Ill steward of himself, himselfe in three yeares ends. . . . [object of preposition + object of verb] . . . Yet them all these unkinde kinds feed upon . . . [adjective + noun] Such wordplay is common in Donne’s satires, but in a poem chronicling the exploits of fishes, a sparrow, a wolf, and a mouse—all being the same individual in different forms—it seems especially appropriate. - Summary by Thomas Copeland
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 23 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet