A nest of singing birds; John Donne; 11

A nest of singing birds. Three centuries of English verse with a doctorate from just. A program on John Donne. What's he doing now minister of singing birds. He certainly seems there's more than sweet music in his lines to be sure but there's no denying that there are often sweet and certainly musical in want tone ship soever I embark. That ship shall be my emblem of the wild seas soever swallow me that fly shall be to me an emblem of the eye blood. Though thou with clouds of anger disguised I face yet through that mask I know those eyes which though they turn away sometimes they never will despise us. Those lines were very smooth as well as harmonious. The rhyme scheme of that stanza sets the pattern for those that follow three couplets three pairs of rhymes then a line which doesn't rhyme followed by one which rhymes with the

last of the three couplets. And Bach Ark flood blood disguise eyes that's the three couplets and then the line which doesn't rhyme which though they turn away sometimes the next and last line ends with despise rhyming with disguise. And I notice these repetitions in what ship so ever want see. So Ever notice also the play of a vowel and consonant here shall be to me an emblem of my blood the heir of shall be with the B relate to emblem and lie blood shall be to me an emblem. In want tone ship soever I embark. That ship shall be my emblem of thy ark. What seas so ever swallow me that fly shall be to me an emblem of thy blood.

Though thou with clouds of anger disguised I face. Yet through that mask I know those eyes which though they turn away sometimes they never will despise an emblem is an image which is also a symbol a symbolic image shall we say. The ship is to done a symbol of something human which God's grace protects and saves the ark of Noah and the sea which can destroy is to done a symbol of Christ's blood which redeemed this in the house of the poet in his second stanza to ask Christ to put his blood between my sins and the port that our eyes see Betwixt my eyes and the. That stanza starts I sacrifice this island unto thee. I renounce all that matters to me in this island as an act of worship to thee. The stanza rhymes its first four lines. The me me the.

I sacrifice this island unto thee and all whom I love and who love me when I have put our seas twixt them and me put that our eyes see Betwixt my sin and the as the trees sap and seek the root below in winter. In my winter now I go where none but the. There turn all root of true love. I may know the opening lines of the next dams are not in me to be clear to the mountain here nor of our northern I really must control the amorous mists of an harmonious soul. That oh and Dr religion control the lovingness of a harmonious soul and soul which is harmony only because you require that love to be directed at you. But here means only then follows as the generous Lord. So I am jealous now

jealous means eager not to lose. Nordau nor die religion thus control the amorous news sub and harmonious so. But thou wouldst have that love thy self. As thou art a jealous Lord. So I am jealous now that our love's not still from a loving more that free my sorrow. Whoever gave us takes liberty. O if thou cares not whom I love last loves not me. Donne asks God to can so much about him as to dominate him ousting all other lesser loves he asks to be divorced from all earthly loves as he separates himself from this island. He wants to take liberty in giving in renouncing he wants to renounce fame which hopes the last fourline scintillate in very satisfying paradox.

Churches are best for prayer that have a least light. To see Guard only. I go out of sight. And to escape stormy days I choose an everlasting night not to tear it all in want tone ship soever I embark. That ship shall be my emblem of thy ark. What sea soever swallow me that fly shall be to me an emblem of the eye blood. Though thou with clouds of anger do disguise they face yet through that mask I know those eyes which though they turn away sometimes they never will despise us. I sacrifice this island unto thee and all whom I love and who love me. When I have put our seas twixt them and me put that our eyes see Betwixt my sin and the. As the

trees sap that seek the root below in winter. In my winter now I go where none but the the eternal root of true love. I may know. Nor the hour nor do I religion thus control the amorous newness of an harmonious soul. But thou wouldst have that love thy self. As thou art a jealous Lord. So I am jealous now love's not till from a loving more than free my sorrow. Whoever gives takes liberty. Oh if thou cares not whom I love alas. Val loves not me. See yo then this bill of my divorce to all on whom those fainter beams of love do marry those lives which when you scatter it be gone fame wit hopes false mistresses to the churches are

best for prayer that have least liked. To see Garda only I go out of sight. And escape stormy days I choose an everlasting night. Dan is often dangerously near playing with ideas for the sake of playing with them. But I think this poem is a sincere enunciation of all that is transitory. A sincere plea for eternal life. Many of the same characteristics are to be recognized in another well-known poem but one on a different subject and angels is the title twice or thrice had I love the way before I knew by face or name. So in a voice so in a shapeless flame. Angels affect us all and worship to be the poet is dealing with ideas well known to his original readers. For him and them it was not an idea but a fact that angels exist and are made of a

very ethereal angelic substance more subtle than air. It is a substance which cannot be perceived by human senses. As a result when an angel wishes to be perceived by human beings it does so in a sound which they can hear a voice or in something which they can see a flame. Dunn says he had loved this lady as a disembodied presence before knowing her as a flesh and blood person in her presence he found her like an angel. Something too splendid to be taken in by his human senses. Still went to where there weren't I came. Some lovely glorious nothing. I did see what a compliment to be paid some lovely glorious nothing like the voice or shapeless frame of an Angelic Presence. Dunn remarks now that love is a child of his soul his soul is embodied in this life. Body Soul are one

inextricable single state. If a soul has a body then his love the child of that soul must share the nature of its parent must become a scope or your own being no more subtle and joined in a single state with a body. So he lets his love embody itself in this lady. But since my so whose child takes limbs of flesh and else could nothing do. More subtle than the parent whose love must not be able to take a body to. And therefore want that word and who love ask and. That it is you. Body I allow. And fix itself in the eye lip eye and brow. When done reflects upon the task of making his level comprehensible he changes his metaphor was last a ballast love I thought and saw more steadily to guard with wares which would sink at the ratio I

saw I had love's pinnace over fraught. I thought means I intended was thus to ballast love I thought. Whilst in this way I intended to make love ride lower in the water to make its course steadier by weighing it down with ballast by infusing it into something called Pole reel but the freight which he used as ballast was so amazing that it would sink utterly overwhelm the human being's capacity for amazement admiration. I saw I had labs pinners over for aught he saw that in fact he had overloaded the pinnace of love. Notice how down relates I thought of the first line of this stanza to I saw of the four winds thus to balance love I thought I saw I had love spinach over fruit. Now he realized that her lip and brow her physical characteristics were too overwhelming. He must fix his love in something less glorious less

affecting to the senses. If they are to comprehend it something more appropriate must be found. Some fitter must be found a penis is a light sailing vessel. Every I have loved to work upon is much too much. Some fitter must be sought for knowing nothing nor in sayings extreme and scattering bright can love in here. The poet insists that he must find something appropriate in which to temper to localize focus his love so that it can be apprehended and appreciated by human powers of perception. He decides to embody his love in her as he explains this point or rather he reminds his original reader who needed no explanation as an angel face and wings are not pure as it yet pure. But where. You remember that the POINT begins with the statement that an angel becomes perceptible to human beings as a voice or shapeless flame.

So in a voice so in a shapeless flame. Angels affect us all and worship to be now done reminds us that an angel can also reveal itself to our side by taking on a shape of air especially pure airy substance. This is purer than our air. Yet let a theory or an angelic substance. Then as an angel face and wings of air. Not pure Is it yet pure that where so that I love maybe my love's fear. This fear is the outer limiting circumference. The angel confines itself within the shape of air. This is its fear. Similarly his love can reveal itself in and be limited by her as the air is less ethereal than angelic substance. So her love is less a theory old than his. So done says that he will let the extreme purity of his love express itself in conforming to confining itself within the less ethereal substance of hers. He

insists that this is logically appropriate because. Just such disparity as twixt air and angels purity twixt women's love and men will ever be here. The seeming obscurity of John Donne is transformed. Once we know the obvious easy senses which his words had for his first readers twice or thrice had I love thee before I knew that I face no name. So in a voice so in a shapeless flame. Angels affect us all and worship to be still went to where there weren't I came. Some lovely glorious nothing. I did see. But since my soul whose child luvvies takes limbs of flesh and else could nothing do. More subtle than the parent whose love must not be able to take a body to. And therefore what they are worth and who love ask and.

That it is you body I love and fix itself in the eye lip eye and brow. While the last two ballasts love I thought and saw it more steadily to have gone with wares which would sink admiration. I saw I had labs Pinney's over fraught everything I have loved to work upon is much too much. Some fitter must be sought. For knowing nothing nor in things extreme and scattering bright can love in here then as an angel face and wings are. Not pure is it. Yet pure that where so that I love maybe my love's fear just such disparity as twixt and angels purity twixt women's love and men will ever be in these two poems we find many of duns characteristic qualities.

There's a joy in proving a point with dexterity the syntax is compressed but clear. Then as an angel face and wings of a hare not pure as it yet death where so dry love may be my love sphere the rhythm there derives from the meaning not pure or is it yet pure that I love may be my labs. Then as an angel face and wings are not pure Is it yet pure where we hear the same man in the opening of the anniversary. All King and all the favorites all glory of honors beauties wits the sun itself which makes times as they pass is elder by a year now than it was when thou and I first one another so all other things to their destruction draw only our love hath no decay there is no tomorrow hath no yesterday running it never runs from us away but truly keeps his first

last everlasting day. But of course Don isn't always so smooth. Busy old Fudan ruly son why dost thou bust through windows and through curtains call on us master the eye motions lovers seasons run so as he began to grudge go child like schoolboys and Sal apprentices goto court Huntsman that the king will ride coal country AMD stock harvest offices. Last of all I like no season knows nor climb no hours days months. Which other rags of time. Prentices apprentices love all alike means love never changing. This is one of the poems in which done shows enormous virtuosity but in my opinion it doesn't have a unity of development in this first verse. He has told The Sun not to call on them but illogically in the next he says

the sun is too weak to affect him compared with the brilliance of his lady's eyes. In that verse the Indians of spice and mine mean first the endure in the east the India of spice and then the India in the West and one which is believed to have the gold mines. But I became a reverend in strong watches thou think I could eclipse and clout that with a wink but that I would not lose sight so. Rise had not blinded look and tomorrow late tell me whether both the Indias of spice and mine the weather lets them all live here with me. I ask for those kings whom thou source yesterday. Now thou shalt hear all hear in one bad leg in the third stanza. The poet insists that the whole world is in the room and compared to this all honors mimic. All is but an empty imitation. And all wealth

is a crude imitation of wealth. The word spirit comes up again. The sphere in astronomy in the old astronomy is the ellipse or the circle of crystalline matter on which a planet is fixed and which revolves. Taking the planet through the sky with it and done uses the old astronomy the bed acts as a center of the Solar System round which the sun revolves. No further from it than the perimeter was. This bed I sent it is these wars by sphere. This is very clever duns control over each verse is exact but there is no logical development from verse to verse. He starts with. Don't come here. And he ends. Don't go anywhere else. Nevertheless as three separate statements they are very enjoyable. Busy old fool unruly son why does that about us through windows and through

curtains call on us master the emotions love or seasons run. So as he began to Gretsch go child like schoolboys and Sal apprentices goto court Huntsman that the king will ride coal country and star harvest offices. Love all alike no season knows nor climb no hours days months. Which other rags of time. By beams. So Reverend in strong watches thou think I could eclipse and Cloud them with a wink. But that I would not lose her sight so long and her eyes have not blinded by look and tomorrow late tell me. Whether both the Indias of spice and mine the weather lets them all lie here with me. I ask for those kings whom the source yesterday. Now thou shalt here or here in one bed lay Chaney's all states and all the princes are I nothing else

is princes do but play us compared to this all honors mimic all wealth alchemy our sun out half as happy as we are in the world contracted that. By nature asks we and since fly duties be to warn the world that done in warning us. Shine here to us now are not every where they spend I send these war guys the song go and catch a falling star is written by Dunn the satirist cynically denouncing human frailty. Go and catch a falling star. Get with child a mandrake root. Tell me where all past years all who cleft the Devils fought. Teach me to hear mermaids singing or to keep off envies stinging and find what why do I balance an honest

mind. There are three verses again each individually is very skillfully written but again there's no unity of the three that this concerns itself with an honest mind. Advance their means promote. But the mix is treats a different matter whether their lives. Any woman and true. He refuses to believe that the most careful and experienced of explorers could find one however long he searched the Explorer could spend a lifetime on the search and come back unsuccessful. If our babies born to strange sides things invisible to see ride ten thousand days and nights till a snow white hairs on the dial when the returns will tell me all the strange wonders that befell Lee and swear at nowhere that lives a woman through. The third verse develops from the second. The search might

have found one. But before the poet could take the news and go and find him she would have been untrue in thought finds one let me know. Such a pilgrimage was we do not. I would not go that next door we might meet though she were true. When you met and last till you write your letter yet she will be felt and I come to two or three. Now we hear the whole poem. Go and catch a falling star. Get with child a mandrake root. Tell me where all past years all who cleft the devil's foot teach me to hear mermaids singing or to keep all envy stinging and find what wind and honest

mind. Bees bowing to Strange Science things invisible to see ride ten thousand days and nights till a snow white hairs on the. Dial when the returns will tell me old strange wonders that befell the. And swear no lives a woman through and in thought finds one let me know. Such a pilgrimage was sweet. Do not I would not go that next door we might me though she were true. When you met her and laughed till you write your letter yet she will be there I come to two or three. I'd like to hear them all again. In want tone ship soever I embark that ship

shall be my emblem of thy Ark wild sea soever swallow me that fly shall be to me an emblem of the eye blood. Though thou with clouds of anger do disguise thy face yet through that mask I know those eyes which though they turn away sometimes they never will despise us. I sacrifice this island unto thee and all whom I love and who love me when I have put our seas twixt them and me put that value see Betwixt my sin and the. As the trees sap that seek the root below in winter in my winter now I go where none but the the eternal root of true love. I may know that our northern i religion does control the amorous mists of an harmonious soul. But Tao would

have that love thy self as thou art a jealous Lord. So I am jealous now love's not still from a loving more than free my sorrow. Whoever gives takes liberty. O if thou cares not whom I love alas. Val loves not me. SIO then this bill of my divorce to all on whom those fainter beams of love do marry those lives which when you scatter it be gone fame wit hopes false mistresses to the churches are best for prayer that have least liked to see Garda only I go out of sight and escape stormy days I choose an everlasting night. Twice or thrice had I love thee before I knew that I face no name.

So in a voice so in a shapeless flame angels affect us all and worship to be still went to where there were I came some lovely glorious nothing. I did see. But since my soul whose child luvvies takes limbs of flesh and else could nothing do more subtle than the parent whose love must not be but take a body too. And therefore what they are worth and who love ask. And now that it is human body and fix itself in the eye lip and Bran was last to ballast love I thought and so more steadily to have gone with wares which would sing admiration. I saw I had love's Pinney's over fraught everything I have for love to work upon is much too much. Some fitter must be sought for knowing nothing nor in things extreme and scattering bronc can love in

here. Then I saw an angel face and wings of pure Is it pure so that I may be in my love sphere just such disparity as it is twixt and angels beauty twixt women's love and will ever be. The first of those was a hymn to Christ at the author's last going into Germany and then came and angels you have been listening to a program on John Donne the verse was spoken by Barry believes this is inviting you to be with us again next week. This program was produced by Radio Broadcast Services of the University of Washington under a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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